New Haven police Capt. Anthony Duff, who was hit multiple times while responding to a shooting incident last week, was discharged from hospital Thursday morning.
Officers stood in salute as they lined a path from Yale New Haven hospital to a black SUV on the street waiting to whisk Duff and his wife home.
Duff was wounded August 12 when he came upon a shooting incident near Dixwell Avenue. He was off duty, and not in uniform, when he tried to intervene. Duff, a public information officer for the department, underwent surgery for multiple gunshot wounds.
Troy Clark, 46, of West Haven died in the shooting. The gunman is still at large.
State police, doctors and nurses, officers from across the state, and from agencies including the FBI and ATF, joined the New Haven Police Department and city officials to celebrate Duff’s release. The crowd broke into applause following a radioed announcement thanking Duff for his service.
Mayor Toni Harp said Duff and the police department have received an outpouring of support in the wake of the shooting.
“This community supported Capt. Anthony Duff, but it also shows that it supports our men in blue and the work that they do on behalf of us every single day,” Harp said. “The model to protect and serve is what he optimizes. You can see that he’s a fighter. He walked out of here and we expect him to be back protecting and serving us very soon. We are overjoyed.”
Sergeant Derek Werner facilitated the formation of the officers as Duff and his wife left the hospital. “[Duff] is a hero to us all," Werner said. "He did some incredibly brave things that we all hope that we would do in that moment. I was just glad to be here and be a part of him coming home, glad he’s OK and still on our team.”
The investigation into the shooting continues. Police Chief Otoniel Reyes is asking anyone with information to call the New Haven Police Department.
