Neighbors cheer Stratford drug raid

STRATFORD -- Residents of St. Michaels Avenue cheered Thursday night as members of the Statewide Narcotics Task Force raided what neighbors said was a longtime drug den on the small dead-end street.

"It was like Christmas morning," said one female neighbor, who asked not to be identified. "We've been waiting for this for seven years."

Shortly before 8:30 p.m., about a dozen heavily armed officers from Stratford, Milford and State Police, broke down the door of the light-blue house at 62 St. Michael's Ave. Once inside, police said, one of the residents, Albert Dean, 35, released a pit bull at the team and it clamped down on one of the officer's legs. He fired a non-lethal shot at the dog, and it retreated to a back bedroom.

Officers then arrested the three occupants, Dean, for attempted first-degree assault and drug charges, and Debra Shaw, 27, Jeremy Bratz, 21, his mother Maryann Bratz, 41, and her nephew Stephan "Bam" Bratz, 24, on multiple drug charges.

Shaw was later released after posting a $50,000 bond but the others were still being held in lieu of bonds of more than $100,000.

Police said the raid was the result of a two-month investigation into the sales of large quantities of prescription pills and marijuana from the house.

Neighbors said they have been complaining for years about the drug activity going on there.

The house is close to both Clover Park and the Franklin Elementary School.

"The drug dealing goes on all night long, seven days a week," said the female neighbor. "There is a steady stream of customers, teenagers, older people. They come from Bridgeport, they come across the park. We have been held like hostages in our own homes, afraid to come out at night."

Police said it took time to build a case against the residents of the house. When officers raided the home Thursday night they said it was after they had made several uncover buys of drugs from the defendants. Police said they purchased numerous prescription drugs.

During the raid, officers said, they seized numerous prescription pills, a small amount of cocaine and 18 shotgun shells.

The injured pit bull was brought to the Shoreline Animal care in Shelton.

Contact Daniel Tepfer at 203-330-6308 or dtepfer@ctpost.com. Follow him on twitter.com/dantepfer