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    Police-Fire Reports
    Monday, April 15, 2024

    MMA fighter tussles with Waterford cops

    Waterford — Nationally recognized mixed martial arts fighter and Waterford native Brennan Ward was arrested early Monday morning following a domestic incident that led to a struggle with four officers Ward allegedly said he would “destroy,” according to police.

    According to an arrest report obtained by The Day, the 28-year-old was visibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol when two patrol officers saw him leaving Sunset Ribs, at 378 Mago Point Way, with one man and one woman at about 12:10 a.m. Monday.

    The trio entered a Jeep in the parking lot, the report states, but Ward and the woman, who was later identified as 28-year-old Waterford resident Kaylin Courtois, exited it shortly thereafter and began what appeared to be “play fighting.”

    Soon, though, police said the fighting appeared to escalate and the other man, who was later identified as 27-year-old Joe Fenton, intervened by trying to carry Ward away from Courtois.

    As police were walking toward the three, they heard Courtois scream and saw her strike Ward in the face, causing him to bleed slightly in the area of his nose and mouth.

    Police arrested Courtois, of 80 Gallup Lane, and charged her Monday with breach of peace. She told police that Ward had called her derogatory names and had hit her in the face.

    Upon getting the statement from her and finding blood on the left side of her forehead, police decided to arrest Ward, too.

    At that point, the report states, Ward “became increasingly belligerent and angry” and started pacing back and forth, yelling profanities and throwing his arms in the air.

    According to the report, when police — bolstered by two additional officers who’d arrived to the scene — asked Ward to put his hands behind his back, he directed several expletives at them and yelled, “If I had to fight you all one on one, I would destroy you.”

    Police said Ward then took a fighting stance and squared up to Officer Troy Gelinas, at which point Officer Jake Nickerson grabbed Ward’s left wrist and placed it behind Ward’s back.

    According to the report, Officer Ryan DiFusco grabbed Ward, too, and Gelinas secured one handcuff onto Ward’s right arm.

    As Ward continued to struggle, however, the second handcuff inadvertently ended up on DiFusco’s right arm.

    Still attached to DiFusco, Ward was taken to the ground, where Ward pulled his arms in and tucked them under his body. Ward then grabbed DiFusco’s wrist, pulled it under his body as well and threatened to break it, according to the report.

    Officers eventually were able to uncuff DiFusco, attach a second set of cuffs to Ward’s left arm and then attach the two sets to each other.

    While handcuffed and sitting on the ground, Ward used his feet to propel himself threateningly toward Gelinas, at one point yelling, “I know your kids and I am going to hurt them,” according to the report.

    Once placed in a cruiser, the report states, Ward repeatedly banged his head against the front Plexiglas divider, causing further injuries to his face, and at one point slipped his handcuffs from the back of his body to the front.

    Because of his “continued extreme aggression,” police said they couldn’t process Ward at the time of his arrest. Instead, they placed him in a cell, where he allegedly violently shook the cell door and continued screaming profanities.

    According to the report, Ward, calling three of the officers by their first names, said he knew where the officers lived and planned on coming after them and their families.

    He also urinated all over the door and floor of his cell, police said.

    Ward, of 5 Riverside Drive, was charged Monday with breach of peace, interfering with a police officer, threatening and assault on a public safety officer.

    According to court records, he was released from custody on a $100,000 surety bond and is next scheduled to appear in New London Superior Court on Aug. 16.

    Ward also has a pending case from Jan. 3, 2014. He is facing charges of disobeying the signal of an officer, reckless driving and interfering with an officer in that case.

    According to bellator.spike.com, Ward, who fights in Bellator MMA's Welterweight class, last fought on April 22. He lost that fight by submission in 30 seconds, bringing his overall record to 14-4.

    l.boyle@theday.com

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