Vernon police have a suspect in custody in a stabbing that forced Vernon police to transport the victim to the hospital on the hood of a cruiser on Thursday night.
Police said they tracked down the suspect, but have not released the person's name.
Officers feared it would take an ambulance too long to arrive and bring the man 300 yards for medical help.
Police responded to Union and Ward streets just before midnight after getting multiple 911 calls reporting a large fight in the Rockville section of Vernon. One 911 caller reported at least 30 people were involved. One caller said several people were trying jump one person.
Several officers happened to be around the corner, investigating a burglary and arrived within 30 seconds, to find Robert Haskell, 20, of Broad Brook, on the sidewalk in front of 22 Ward St. with a stab wound to his chest, police said.
Officers and an ambulance tech immediately began treating Haskell, who had lost a large amount of blood.
Police called for an ambulance, but it would be responding from Manchester, so they placed the victim on the hood of a cruiser.
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An officer treated his wound and walked along beside the car for 300 yards, until they reached the emergency room at Rockville General Hospital.
You can hear the 911 call from an officer saying they would transport Haskell here.
Police said they could not lay Haskell down on the hard plastic molded seats and stop the bleeding.
"He could've died. He was bleeding profusely. No one knew how long an ambulance to get there," Lt. Kelly, of Vernon Police said. ""They were administering oxygen, provided direct pressure."
As crews were treating Haskell, a large group gathered around, creating a scene that police called disorderly and chaotic.
Police said several residents followed the cruiser to the emergency room and the crowd was disrupting the emergency treatment of the victim, police said.
Police said they asked Malcolm Atwater, 46, of East Hartford, and Generio Jones, 21, of Vernon, to leave, several times, but they interfered with the officers and emergency room staff and were arrested.
Police said Haskell had charged at another man at Union and Ward streets, assaulted him and the man stabbed him in the chest. He walked back over to Ward Street and collapsed.
Friends said the man who stabbed Haskell had come around looking for drugs. They said they didn't have any, he started acting crazy and stabbed Haskell.
Because of the chaotic scene, all the available Vernon officers responded to assist, so police called for officers from surrounding departments and bought in police from Manchester, as well as and state troopers.
South Windsor police came in to assist Vernon with other calls for service.
Haskell was later transported to Hartford Hospital and eventually released.
