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Police seek info in Waterbury beating



Police released this photo taken from surveillance video showing an unidentified participate (in black, wearing baseball hat backwards) in a fight at a Waterbury gas station.

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Times Argus Staff - Published: November 18, 2009

WATERBURY – The Waterbury Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying a male suspect responsible for assaulting a 53-year-old Moretown man on Nov. 7 outside the Champlain Farms on Route 100.

The victim of the assault, Ted Brunell, sustained a broken jaw and a cut on his head in the assault, which happened around midnight and was captured on surveillance video, according to Waterbury Police Chief Joby Feccia.

The fight began as a verbal conflict and then escalated.

It appears from the surveillance video that Brunell swung his hand at the suspect first, and the suspect responded by punching Brunell more than once and kicking him in the head when he was down, leaving him motionless on his back in the gas station parking lot.

Police responded to the scene but the assailant had quickly fled after the fight.

Brunell and the suspect didn't know each other, police said.

Feccia acknowledged that Brunell may have begun the physical part of the altercation, but said he would still arrest the suspect if he can find him, especially in light of the fact that he kicked Brunell when he was down.

"The definite assault is when Teddy's on the ground and he kicks him," said Feccia. "There's no justification for that."

Anyone with information about the fight or the suspect is asked to call the Waterbury Police Department at 244-7339.







READER COMMENTS


It certainly looks like Ted threw the first punch. Why have the police not charged him? Isn't that ASSAULT?

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-- Posted by Bennett Shapiro on Fri, Nov 20, 2009, 11:25 pm EST

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B.H. Joby is a nice enough guy- .His take on the situation was off in my opinion as well, but I don't believe he plays favorites with anyone.
-- Posted by None None on Fri, Nov 20, 2009, 10:28 pm EST

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Joby is partial to charging young males with assault when there is a fist fight. It depends on whose Mommy complains the loudest and how much the kid back talks to Joby
-- Posted by B H on Fri, Nov 20, 2009, 5:17 pm EST

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"Much ado about nothing."
-- Posted by Olde Man on Fri, Nov 20, 2009, 4:45 pm EST

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You know Amy you are right people should grow up..Maybe you should let Teddy know that same fact.. The kid is smoking a Cig.. so naturally there will be smoke.. but.. when Teddy is in his grill you can't see anywhere in that where the kid blew smoke in his face.. and Even if he did.. Teddy hit him first.. I am glad the kid beat the hell out of him.. Maybe that is one less aging hipster bully that is floating around central VT thinking they are tough and the town enforcers...
-- Posted by None None on Fri, Nov 20, 2009, 2:22 pm EST

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Detective Amy,sorry not the same,in the fight vid.he has white strips on the bottom of his sneakers where the sole is bonded.
-- Posted by bob on Fri, Nov 20, 2009, 12:48 pm EST

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It doesn't appear to me that the kid was blowing smoke in Ted's face. It looks like Ted is getting up in his face and the kid is smoking a cigg. I keep watching it over and over and the only conclusion I can see is that Ted's body language is threatening and that the kid did step back a few times.
-- Posted by B H on Fri, Nov 20, 2009, 12:19 pm EST

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In the video, you can see the kid blowing smoke in Teddys face before the first swing. Not that it makes any of this right. Just seems like a couple of people looking for a fight. On another note, this same store was robbed shortly after this whole fight took place. They have a snap shot of the burgular from behind. Take a good look at his clothes, it's definately one in the same. In a small town like Waterbury, it's hard not to know everyone else. Doesn't make us any less "hicklike" then any other Vermont town. People are so gd negative with their comments, so quick to judge. Look at yourself first. No ones perfect. Grow up...
-- Posted by Amy Glynn on Fri, Nov 20, 2009, 11:21 am EST

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It appeared from the video that Ted was giving the guy in the red car grief before he got involved w/ the other guy. Spoiling for a fight? Looks like it to me.

The slapdown was just bad Karma coming back to bite him. Next time pick on an old lady.
-- Posted by None None on Fri, Nov 20, 2009, 10:22 am EST

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Just think what could have happened if the young man did not defend himself,and Ted,at a 100 pound plus weight advantage had connected with a solid punch to his head,could have been alot worse then a broken jaw.
-- Posted by bob on Fri, Nov 20, 2009, 8:59 am EST

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a Broken Jaw is serious.. but "Teddy" really asked him to kick his ass. Teddy should be thankful that he lives in little hick Waterbury and not a big city where kids play with guns.. or he probably would have been taking a Dirt nap instead of drinking meals thru a straw. I mean come on.. Charge the kid with assault for defending himself.. what a joke.. the fat bully starts the fight.. gets it handed to him.. and the person he was playing bully with gets in trouble.. so wrong...
-- Posted by None None on Fri, Nov 20, 2009, 8:49 am EST

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Still wonder what the argument was about and why the older guy swung at the kid or what the need for it was in the first place. It seems rather stupid as most fights are. I read today that they found the kid and brought him in. We'll see.
-- Posted by Watercloset on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 11:44 pm EST

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A broken jaw is not seriously hurt? WTF HAS THE ENTIRE WORLD GONE MAD!!!>???
-- Posted by Melissa B. on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 10:23 pm EST

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I couldn't agree more.. this is a waste of time.. and $$ to pursue... classic case of a guy trying to be a bully.. and he got his butt beat.. now people are crying foul..
-- Posted by None None on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 6:38 pm EST

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We don't need to waste tax dollars on this. No one was seriously hurt. I doubt that either party wants to get into it further. Instead of charging both parties, the cops should not charge either. This would be a good "no call" as they say in sports.
-- Posted by Olde Man on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 4:22 pm EST

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Looks to me like old Teddy tried getting tough.. and actually "started the fight" with a small kid...and well.. the kid handed him his butt.. plain and simple.. I mean if that kid picks up any charges.. ole Teddy should too.. for the fact that he hit the kid twice.. I mean for real.. the sort of looked like Mike Tyson fighting Tony Tubbs in Tokyo.. 30 seconds and one guy is lights out on his back.. I am certainly on the youngsters side..
-- Posted by None None on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 12:22 pm EST

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I would not stand there and allow someone to punch me either.
-- Posted by Hunter- Farmer on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 11:23 am EST

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Wow - I wonder what effect this will have on Mr. Brunell's business.
-- Posted by Reasonable Moderate on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 11:09 am EST

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As a young man I was always quite ready to mix it up. Having reached senior citizen status, it now seems that discretion is the better part of valor. A good lesson to learn, I think.
-- Posted by Black Book on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 11:06 am EST

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Seems to me that the 20 yo was protecting his own butt,just protecting himself.
Was it right for the young man to kick him when he was down,I will answer that by simple saying that a man with that much size advantage should not have started the fight to begin with,he got what he was asking for.
People have called the young man a weenie punk kid,all I will say is he has a pretty good right.
-- Posted by bob on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 10:04 am EST

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WOW. I just watched that video and I'll side with that weakling punk even more. If 'Teddy' did that to me, I'd do the same thing. The kid was probably sick of getting slapped in the face and who was to say 'Teddy' wasn't going to get back up??? That punk kid was outweighed by 100 lbs, so he probably was scared. If 'Teddy' was a real man he'd try to get charges dropped. If you make your bed, you need to lay in it. That's the problem with society - people like 'Teddy' going around running their mouths, knowing the law will bail them out when they get their arse handed to em.
-- Posted by Hardcore Baller on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 9:20 am EST

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Not only did "Teddy" throw the first punch but he did it twice; smacking the kid in the face and then hitting him again - he got his butt whooped by a punk and sounds as though, he just can't take a punch....sucks to be him - all is fair in love and war baby....you lost this round.
-- Posted by Can't Stand Ignorance on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 8:26 am EST

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It's pretty obvious that ole "Teddy" had a bit too much too drink. He approached another guy at the front of the store that leaves during the footage. Then this whole thing happens and Teddy gets his arse handed to him by some 110 pound weenie. Looks like he got what he deserved.
-- Posted by Bocephus on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 7:16 am EST

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I just watched the tape. Teddy swings at him twice and kept it going. Then he gets his butt handed to him. The kid kicked at him once after he was down but maybe he did not want him to get up and hurt him. Honestly if you have to charge the kid fine but Teddy should get charged too with something, assault, Disorderly conduct...they were both wrong.
-- Posted by None None on Thu, Nov 19, 2009, 4:15 am EST

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The guy was down and he kicked him, I guess stomping is fine with you people huh? Popping the guy and dropping him is one thing when 'teddy' swung first, but the kicking part is way out of bounds and not necessary.

So, when one of your kids comes home from school, started a fight, got stomped on, don't say a word, cause it's cool by you in this case.
-- Posted by Melissa B. on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 11:42 pm EST

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Tapes are on this site:

http://www.stowetoday.com/waterbury_record/news/breaking_news/doc4b032b09cdcc0283012313.txt

As far as the cop calling Ted "Teddy," he is the owner of Ted's Kar Kare, so a business man of many years standing, of course there is going to be some familiarity. So what.
-- Posted by Christina Colombe on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 11:35 pm EST

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He started the fight. He got whupped. Who cares. Leave it alone.
-- Posted by Olde Man on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 4:59 pm EST

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The police acknowledge that Brunell started the fight. And if the guy who did the a s s kicking left it there it wouldn't be news. But he kicked him in the head when he was defenseless on the ground, hence the assault charge.
-- Posted by Richard Cranium on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 4:29 pm EST

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The guy shot off his mouth and got arse handed to him. I think Ted needs to lick his wounds and learn to shut up. The police on the other hand should arrest Ted not the other guy after all he did start it!
-- Posted by jerry laik on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 4:09 pm EST

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p.s. Call me old school, but when someone throws the first punch and gets their buttocks handed to them on a platter....The only person to blame is yourself.
-- Posted by Hardcore Baller on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 2:14 pm EST

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I know nothing about the cop or the 'victim', but I know how small town Police Departments are. It matters who you are, not what you did.

I'd bet $ that this cop knows 'Teddy' personally.
-- Posted by Hardcore Baller on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 2:03 pm EST

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I'm sure if they look back in the 80's they could locate him.
-- Posted by John Lamson on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 1:45 pm EST

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Hardcore Baller: You are assuming that Chief Feccia is a "corrupt cop" because he refers to the victim as "Teddy"? That is outrageous. There are any number of reasons that Chief Feccia called the victim by his first name. I can assure you that Chief Feccia is the furthest thing from a corrupt cop. Please don't make wild assumptions based on absolutely nothing.
Stacie Rounds, Barre, VT
-- Posted by Stacie Rounds on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 11:38 am EST

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Sounds like ole Teddy's fight got finished for him..next time he'll know better (or probably not)
-- Posted by CJ maloney on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 11:06 am EST

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""The definite assault is when Teddy's on the ground and he kicks him," said Feccia."

Sounds to me like Mr. Feccia knows Mr. Brunell, since he calls him "Teddy". Corrupt cops?? Sounds it to me.

If that was someone the cops didn't know, and they swung at this kid first - the cops would be saying "it was self defense since 'Teddy' swung at them first".
-- Posted by Hardcore Baller on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 9:45 am EST

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