CT bar loses liquor license after fatal shooting. Police chief says location poses ‘immediate danger’

The liquor permit of an Connecticut restaurant has been suspended following a shooting that left a victim dead and other incidents, according to the state Department of Consumer Protection.

Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli signed a “summary suspension of the liquor permit” for Humacao Restaurant and Bar, located at 77 Silver Lane, B12, East Hartford, according to the agency.

“First and foremost, our condolences go out to the family who lost a loved one last weekend,” Cafferelli said, in a statement. “This is a senseless tragedy that should have been avoided, and even though the new permittees at Humacao have only held the liquor permit for roughly three months, they are clearly not prepared for the responsibilities of protecting public health and safety that come with holding such a permit. Thank you to the East Hartford Police Department for their quick response to this tragedy, and for their ongoing work to address issues at this establishment.”

A person who answered the phone at the restaurant Tuesday evening declined to comment.

According to the consumer protection department, the suspension stems from a “referral to the DCP Liquor Control Division from the East Hartford Police Department on March 18, 2024, regarding events that occurred during the early morning hours of March 16, 2024.”

On March 16, 2024, officers responded to the parking lot of Humacao Restaurant and Lounge at 775 Silver Lane shortly after 1 a.m., East Hartford police spokesperson Officer Marc Caruso has said.

Responding officers first on scene found a man, later identified as 39-year-old Theodore Wallace of Hartford suffering from a gunshot wound, Caruso has said. Wallace, whose birthday was Friday, was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the consumer protection department, when East Hartford police went to Humacao, officers and emergency “personnel reported that a large crowd created ‘significant challenges’ to render medical aid to the victim.”

The agency said in an email that East Hartford Police Chief Mack Hawkins wrote to DCP “that a search of East Hartford Police Department records for the past five years shows over 19 calls for service at or related to Humacao’s address. Chief Mack wrote that 11 of calls for service have happened since January 1, 2024, and that calls for service began escalating less than one month after the current backer and permittee received the liquor permit.”

Hawkins wrote, according to DCP, “The establishment poses an immediate danger to customers, neighbors, motorists, and responding police officers. The business persists in hosting unruly crowds, loud music, and intoxicated patrons despite repeated citizen complaints and response by the East Hartford Police Department … The staff at Humacao Restaurant and Bar are aware of the complaints listed [herein], but such activity at this bar continues to persist, most recently resulting in the Homicide and melee of intoxicated patrons …”

Humacao can’t serve alcohol “until further notice,” but may serve food. “The permit was first issued by DCP on a provisional basis on Dec. 12, 2023, and a final permit was approved on Feb. 27, 2024. The permit is set to expire on Dec. 11, 2024.”

Those with concerns about a liquor permit holder in the State of Connecticut can contact DCP’s Liquor Control Division at 860-713-6210, or dcp.liquorcontrol@ct.gov.