Permit Would Have Curbed Violence at Hartford Basketball Tournament: Police

The man who organized the Hartford basketball tournament at which four people were shot Saturday, one fatally, said he tried and failed to obtain a permit for the event, which police said would likely have tempered the violence.

“I went to the public school; they sent me to speak to people at Parks and Rec,” explained Maurice Eastwood. “I was just a ping pong ball in a ping pong game, and they just hit me left right left right. I didn’t know where to go to.”

Jay Headen, 41, died when gunfire erupted. Authorities charged Roosevelt Holmes in the shootings, though his lawyer told reporters Monday that Holmes was firing back at a man who had robbed and shot him first.

Hartford Police Chief James Rovella later said he did not know whether police could charge Eastwood with a crime for holding the event without a permit.

Had a permit been obtained, police would have been present in and around Rawson School during the tournament, according to Rovella.

“This situation could have been avoided,” he said.

Eastwood spoke with reporters Tuesday at Rawson Elementary School, where the violence unfolded, backed by friends and neighbors. He refused to comment on the violence.

“I expected that turnout, you know what I mean? I put hours, weeks and months into everything I do. Anybody that knows me says I’m very genuine,” Eastwood said.

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