Officer Don Hubbard suffered significant facial injuries in the fight that led to the shooting. The panel agreed with police who said firefighter Anthony Bruno had pinned Hubbard to the ground and repeatedly punched him in the face. Bruno was shot twice in the chest.
Police said Bruno had been celebrating his recent nuptials during a reception Dec. 1. Bruno got into an argument with a taxi cab driver over a fare. Hubbard, working off-duty security at the hotel, chased after Bruno and caught up to him in the 1300 block of Baltimore Ave.
Officials say Hubbard was in the process of putting him in handcuffs when Bruno turned violent.
According to the autopsy report, Bruno had multiple abrasions to his face and head as well as contusions on his hand. His blood-alcohol content was .21, nearly three times the legal limit for drunk driving.
“This is great tragedy, not only for the Bruno family but for so many others touched by this incident,” Baker said.