COP HAD NO CHANCE TO DEFEND SELF

NEW HAVEN -- Peering through the windshield of their unmarked van, the
officers saw a suspected drug dealer walking at Washington and West streets
in the Hill neighborhood, wearing a green camouflage shirt.

Police did not know that the suspect - Arnold Anthony Bell, 36 - had a
handgun, and that he would shoot the first police officer who rolled up on
him, authorities said.

The officers, fresh from a drug raid in the Fair Haven section, were on
their way Thursday night to other drug haunts. They were in plainclothes,
but wearing raid jackets labeled "Police." They pulled to the curb to
question Bell. Officer Robert Fumiatti, 31, son of a retired New Haven
detective, slid open the side door of the van and - BAM!

He was by shot in the mouth by Bell from less than 10 feet away, police
said. He never got the chance to step out of the van, let alone draw his
gun, law officers said. Fumiatti, who joined the force 31/2 years ago, fell
back into the van.

The bullet from the .32-caliber automatic handgun drove two of Fumiatti's
teeth into his throat and then lodged in his head. He was drifting in and
out of consciousness Friday at Yale-New Haven Hospital, but was responsive
to touch, said his brother, Michael.

Doctors said he fared well during 21/2 hours of surgery and could move his
eyes. They're waiting to see how he responds to more treatment before
deciding whether to try to remove the bullet.

Bell is a career criminal who was released from federal prison Feb. 12
after serving six years of an 84-month sentence on a gun-possession charge.
He was on supervised release, under the jurisdiction of federal probation
officers. U.S. Attorney John Danaher said Friday that there were no reports
of violations against Bell - until Thursday night.

After the 9:20 p.m. shooting, Bell threw the handgun and the camouflage
shirt into some bushes and ran away, law officers said.

Medics rushed a gravely wounded Fumiatti to the hospital while police
bosses, responding to the first police shooting in New Haven since Officer
Miguel Marquez was wounded while exchanging gunfire with an armed-robbery
suspect in 1998, marshaled extensive resources.

Six police dogs and the state police helicopter joined dozens of police
officers in a search of the streets and closely grouped yards in the
densely populated Hill neighborhood. Within 30 minutes sources had provided
Bell's name to police. Within four hours, police found Bell cowering
beneath some stairs in a backyard about four blocks from the shooting scene.

Fumiatti's father, Vincent, and the rest of his family had already taken up
a vigil at the hospital.

"That is the one phone call you hope you never receive," said Michael
Fumiatti, who is the purchasing agent for the city of New Haven. "Dad was a
detective for more than 30 years, and, fortunately, we never had to deal
with his being shot."

Vincent Fumiatti was a tenacious investigator who spent the last part of
his career on the city's arson squad.

"My family is holding together - that's what families are for. And so many
friends, relatives, and co-workers of all of us are helping in any way they
can. Their prayers and well-wishes are so heartfelt."

Robert Fumiatti was slightly older than the typical police recruit when he
signed on at the age of 26.

"He'd tried a few jobs," said Michael. "He loves to cook and worked as a
prep chef. He makes a mean scampi, but deep down, this is what he wanted to
do."

Bell was arraigned in Superior Court Friday morning on charges of attempted
murder, first-degree assault, assaulting a police officer and weapons
charges. The judge set bail at $5 million, an amount his public defender,
Mike Richards, called excessive.

Danaher said Friday his office would work with state prosecutors and see if
federal charges are appropriate for Bell. He has seven felony convictions
on a rap sheet that dates to 1982, when he was 16. The offenses include a
pair of robberies, larcenies, an assault, a weapons charge, and a charge of
selling drugs.

Danaher said Bell could be considered for prosecution under the federal
three-strikes-and-you're-out statute, which carries a mandatory life sentence.

The rule has been invoked only once in Connecticut: A 37-year-old career
criminal from New Haven named Jerome Suggs drew a pair of life sentences in
September 2000 in federal court in New Haven. He had 23 felony convictions.

Bell in 1989 was sentenced to 10 years in state prison for trafficking in
narcotics. No sooner did he get out in 1996, than he was found with a gun.
In August 1996, he was given the 84-month federal sentence, to be followed
by three years of supervised release.

While on release, offenders are expected to report to their probation
officers periodically, Danaher said.