Police have arrested a man who is accused of pistol whipping someone during a New Year's Eve party in East Haven on Monday night.
Yale New Haven Hospital security contacted East Haven Police on Tuesday around 12:13 a.m. about an assault that had happened at the Quality Inn on East Frontage Road. The assault victim told hospital security that he was assaulted with a gun during a New Year's Eve party at the hotel.
Officers said they responded to the Quality Inn and made contact with several rooms who were having parties. Investigators learned occupants of one party crashed another room's party, which caused an argument between the two groups.
According to police, one group also was planning on robbing the other group. A verbal argument escalated into a physical altercation and a handgun was pulled out and used to pistol whip one man on the head. The victim's girlfriend then transported the man to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
Police used video surveillance of the assault, which they said took place in the parking lot, to determine who was the aggressor.
Officers detained 23-year-old Willie Griffin, of West Haven, who was seen on surveillance video, engaged in the assault. While police were in a room speaking with Griffin about the assault, they said they found a loaded .22 caliber handgun in the bathroom. The handgun that was located was determined to be the weapon used in the assault, police said.
After Griffin was identified as being responsible for the assault, he was placed under arrest.
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Griffin is facing charges including criminal possession of a pistol, carrying a pistol without a permit, threatening, assault and reckless endangerment. He is being held on a $200,000 bond and was in court on Wednesday.
