Connecticut trooper kills knife-wielding suspect in bus clash

A knife-wielding man was shot and killed by a Connecticut state trooper on Tuesday night after a clash on a bus that left at least two other people injured, authorities said.

A third person was also injured when one of the trooper’s rounds ricocheted and struck a passenger, according to a state police news release.

The clash happened shortly after 10 p.m. EDT, when the driver of a New York City-bound bus heading north on Interstate 95 called 911 to report a disturbance, according to a state police news release. The bus was returning from a Connecticut casino.

As the vehicle pulled into a roadside construction site, a man armed with a box cutter and another bus passenger began fighting and spilled onto the roadside.

A trooper who was guarding the construction site tried to intervene, but the suspect approached the trooper in an “aggressive manner” before the trooper opened fire, according to the news release.

The man was taken to Norwalk Hospital in Fairfield County where he died a short time later, according to the release.

Trooper Kelly Grant, public information officer for the state police, told the Los Angeles Times that two other victims suffered knife wounds to the face and body, and were also taken to the hospital.

The extent of injuries to the person who was accidentally shot remains unclear. A spokeswoman for Norwalk Hospital referred all questions to the state police.

Police identified the trooper involved in the shooting as Marc O’Mara, a 10-year veteran of the department.

There were at least 20 people aboard the bus, Grant said. Many of the passengers do not speak English, which has slowed the investigation.

It was not clear who owned the bus.

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