Sen. Gordon Statement on Tolland ‘Lawless Mob’ Street Takeover

Gordon: Incident ‘…turned violent at the hands of a lawless mob.’

State Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock), member of the legislature’s Public Safety and Security Committee, today reacted to details of the violent ‘street takeover’ in Tolland late Sunday night.

“I have been busy learning more about what happened with the street takeover in Tolland that turned violent at the hands of a lawless mob. My main priority is the safety of all residents and law enforcement. There is no place for this behavior in our community or state. I will be working and meeting with local and state leaders, such as Tolland Town Manager Brian Foley, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner James Rovella, and State Rep. Tammy Nuccio to offer solutions; solutions on how to deter these incidents from happening again, and how law enforcement can respond when they do happen.

“We need a change in state policy on how crimes like this are handled and pursued. We must listen to law enforcement to make sure that they have all the tools at their disposal to keep us safe. There also must be severe consequences for criminals who choose to commit acts like what we saw in Tolland. I have long been advocating for these measures and will continue to do so. Public safety has been one of my top priorities as a state senator.

“These street takeovers have now become violent and have plagued many towns and cities across our country, beyond Tolland. The footage of the scene was terrifying and is unacceptable in a civilized society. Thank you to the men and women of Connecticut State Police Troop C who do a great job every day and night to enforce the laws that are on the books. Our state and local police need more resources, and we need more people like them to grow their ranks,” said Senator Gordon.