Man In Armed Standoff With Police To Undergo Mental Health Treatment [Correction]

A Hillside Place man accused of threatening police on Thursday with a hunting rifle has agreed to undergo inpatient mental health treatment at Norwalk Hospital.

William Loeffel assented to that stipulation Friday during his arraignment in state Superior Court in Norwalk before Judge William J. Wenzel.

In return, Wenzel reduced Loeffel's bond to $25,000 -- which he posted through a bail bondsman -- from the $150,000 bond police held him on overnight.

Police reports say Thursday's incident -- which resulted in dozens of officers being dispatched to 4 Hillside Pl., where Loeffel lived with his girlfriend -- was triggered by her coming home from work and finding him intoxicated.

The reports say she told him she was breaking off their relationship because he was becoming drunk almost daily over the last four months drinking tequila.

The reports say she told police Loeffel responded by pushing her down on a bed, climbing on top of her, and using one hand to cover her mouth and his other hand to pin her in place.

She reportedly said he told her repeatedly, "You are not going to leave."

She reportedly told police Loeffel eventually released her, and their argument resumed, with her telling him he had abused her physically and mentally, and their relationship was definitely ended.

At that point, police reports say, Loeffel reportedly told her he was going to kill himself in front of her, and went to another bedroom to get a hunting rifle.

She fled outside and allegedly told police she last saw Leoffel standing at the front door to her apartment holding the front of the rifle's barrel under his chin.

Police said Leoffel told a police dispatcher he would shoot at officers and then fired a shot.

Police negotiator Lt. Shawn Wong Won contacted Loeffel by phone, and about an hour and 15 minutes later, Loeffel agreed to exit the residence unarmed and be taken into custody.

Police charged Loeffel with first-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree threatening, second-degree breach of peace, and unlawful discharge of a firearm.

Police said Loeffel had a Remington 700 bolt action rifle with an attached scope, which he left inside the residence when he surrendered. Police reports say he told a dispatcher it was loaded with .308 caliber, full metal-jacketed cartridges.

After the standoff ended, Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik said bullets from Loeffel's rifle could have penetrated officers' bullet-resistant vests.

Police reports say Loeffel, a member of a Merchant Marine union, told officers he was suffering anxiety because he hadn't been employed in a year.

Wenzel told Loeffel he wanted him to appear before him one more time to assess the results of Loeffel's particiption in the hospital's treatment program before turning the case over to Family Court.

Loeffel was scheduled to return to court Nov. 5.