Plainville Police Sergeant Killed in Car Crash

A Plainville police sergeant has died after he crashed his 1974 Chevrolet Corvette into a tree on New Britain Avenue just before 9 p.m Tuesday night, police said.

Sgt. Timothy Mullaney, one of two officers who shot and injured a suspect in a , was pronounced dead at Hartford Hospital shortly after arriving by Lifestar helicopter following the accident.

Farmington police said Mullaney, 44, had been traveling down New Britain Avenue near the intersection of Swamp Scott Road when his car veered off the road and hit a tree. Medics tended to him on scene after he initially stopped breathing and he was transported to Hartford Hospital but died an hour later, police said.

There was no one else in the car at the time, police said, and no other vehicles were involved in the accident.

Mullaney had been involved in an investigation on July 16 at the AMC Theater in Plainville in which state police said he and Cpl. John Eno fired shots at Southington resident Erik Gothberg while attempting to serve a warrant, injuring Gothberg and two other Plainville officers.

Gothberg, who was wanted in connection with a Southington child pornography case, had just left the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, when Mullaney and Eno attempted to arrest him, state police said.

Gothberg instead resisted and reached toward his waistline, leading the officers to fire at him.

Gothberg was hit in the foot and the fire ricocheted, hitting Plainville officer Clifford Roper in the forearm and breaking car glass that cut Plainville officer David Slater, State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance said in a press release following the incident.

Police did not find a weapon on Gothberg but had spoken to witnesses that confirmed Gothberg’s actions. The state police investigation on the incident remains open, officials with the Connecticut State Police said Wednesday.

Any witnesses to the Tuesday accident are asked to contact Sgt. Paul Walzak of the Farmington Police Department at (860) 675-2400. The North Central Municipal Accident Reconstruction team is assisting in the investigation.