Woman remains under guard after bank incident

WINSTED — A distraught Winsted woman remains under psychiatric evaluation and police guard after she held up a local bank here last Friday afternoon, allegedly in the hope of being shot by police.

Quick action by local police officers helped to subdue June Lawlor, 29, of Bridge Street,
who faces numerous charges after she entered the TD Bank branch in Ledgebrook Plaza brandishing a pellet gun around 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 16.

Lawlor forced bank employees into a corner and told one of them to call 911 because she wanted a police officer to shoot her through the window, police said.

During the incident, Lawlor allegedly made a point to tell bank employees that this was not a robbery and not about money.

After members of the Winsted Police Department arrived on the scene, Officer Joe Milhomens was able to tackle the woman, bringing her down to the floor and knocking away the pellet gun, Dept. Chief Robert Scannell said.

“He spotted her being rather inattentive and took advantage of it,� Scannell said.

Officers Tim O’Connor and John Marchi assisted in taking Lawlor into custody.

“It was not obvious that it was a pellet gun. From a distance it would look like a 9 millimeter,� Scannell said. “But the officers’ quick, decisive action brought the situation to a safe conclusion.�

Lawlor was later transported to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington for psychiatric evaluation, where she remains in police custody.

“We’re still guarding her,� Scannell said Wednesday.

Lawlor has been charged with threatening, reckless endangerment, breach of peace, kidnapping, brandishing a facsimile firearm and carrying a dangerous weapon. She is being held on a $100,000 bond.