Caught on Cam: Reporters sprayed with bug spray

Posted: Aug 17, 2010 2:11 PM
Updated: Aug 17, 2010 2:23 PM

Journalists were assaulted with bug spray outside a Connecticut court Tuesday morning while covering a story connected to Omar Thornton's alleged beer theft from Hartford Distributors.

Fox CT reporter George Colli and photographer Alan Chaniewski were hit by the spray.

Christy Quail, 33, of Enfield, was in court, accused of buying stolen beer from Thornton, the gunman who killed several coworkers before taking his own life at the beer distributorship.

As she left her court appearance on Tuesday, her husband, Sean Quail, 33, sprayed the journalists with a can Spectracide wasp and hornet spray.

The warning in the material safety data sheet states that you should avoid breathing vapors of the product and avoid contact with the liquid.

A photographer for NBC station WVIT was also outside court but was not sprayed.

After spraying the journalists, Christy Quail, Sean Quail and another woman got into a car and left.

Chaniewski was taken to a nearby firehouse for first aid.

Police took the man into custody at his home and are taking him to the police station for booking.

Quail was arrested three days after Thornton went on a mass shooting spree at the Manchester beer distributor facility and killed eight coworkers before turning the gun on himself.

Quail was charged with receiving stolen property from Thornton.

Her husband, Sean Quail, 33, was arrested on Monday afternoon, also accused of stealing beer.

An affidavit, first obtained by The Journal Inquirer, said Quail is the wife of a former employee at Hartford Distributors who knew Thornton.

Thornton's former girlfriend, Kristi Hannah, told the New York Daily News that Sean Quail was Thornton's best friend and used to work at Hartford Distributors.