A haunted hayride in Shelton is experiencing a lot of backlash because one of its attractions depicted a police officer who was shot.
The attraction, Legends of Fear, issued a public apology Sunday, after the display was seen by members of the Bristol Police force who visited Saturday night.
Although she was not there herself, Marissa Cullen says a mix of Bristol police dispatchers and officers who are her friends visited the Halloween attraction. She said they were shocked by what they saw.
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“There was a mannequin type thing, wearing a police-style, bulletproof vest with what appeared to be bullet wounds in the forehead,” Cullen said.
Legends of Fear is a popular Halloween attraction in the state.
Cullen, who is a former Bristol Police dispatcher and is married to a Hartford officer, posted the information to Facebook.
“I was livid. I was absolutely infuriated,” Cullen said.
The post generated at least 70 comments and has been shared over 400 times. Among those responding was Legend of Fear owner Bradley Wells, who apologized.
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Wells posted a response saying in part, “We deeply apologize for having this prop in our scene due to the recent loss of our Hero Police Officers in Bristol. The foam prop has been removed from the Farm.”
“Fairview Tree Farm, Legends of Fear, and my family have always had a close working relationship with the Shelton Police Force. We support the Police Force to the highest level and currently utilize them here at our Farm every single operating night," Wells continued.
Still on the property Monday are the decorations you’d expect to see. Wells said the prop in question was originally overlooked. For Cullen, though, this oversight is unacceptable.
“It’s still unacceptable,” Cullen said. “In 2022, why are we depicting anything that indicates in any way the execution of a police officer?”
While Cullen has not accepted the apology, she said there are meaningful things Legends of Fear could do to show they truly do support the police. She said that would start with a contribution to the funds being generated on behalf of the fallen officers.
Bristol Police are not commenting on the issue.
