Man arrested after threats to “kill everyone” at Groton hotel

GROTON, Conn. (WTNH) — A man was arrested Sunday for allegedly holding a knife up to a parent’s neck and threatening to “kill everyone” at a hotel in Groton.

Officers arrested Jonathan Jean-Pierre and confirmed no one was injured during the incident.

Officers responded at 7:14 a.m. to a call that hotel staff wasn’t allowing a man to enter a room at the Baymont Inn on Route 12. Police received more calls from hotel staff that a man displayed a knife and was making verbal threats to staff.

All available officers from the patrol shift responded to the hotel, police said. The first arriving officers found Jean-Pierre holding a knife in front of the hotel.

Officers told Jean-Pierre to drop the knife multiple times, but police said he refused and continued walking toward Route 12.

Police used a Taser to strike Jean-Pierre, remove the knife and arrest him. He was evaluated and treated by Groton ambulance members on the scene, police said.

During the investigation, police found that Jean-Pierre became upset when hotel staff didn’t allow him to enter a room that wasn’t ready yet. Witnesses said he began yelling profanities at hotel staff, near a youth marching band.

The youth members were between the ages of 13 and 21, officers said. One parent came up to Jean-Pierre and asked him to quiet down because there were children around, witnesses told police.

The parent told police Jean-Pierre then pulled out a butterfly-type knife and held it to the parent’s throat. The man began yelling about his intent to kill the parent, the parent’s wife, and their children — who were all present at the time.

Hotel staff intervened and got Jean-Pierre outside where he continued to display the knife and make disturbing comments, officers found.

Jean-Pierre had no injuries and was transported to police headquarters Sunday morning.

The man is facing multiple counts of six charges, including violation of conditions of release, carrying a dangerous weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment, two counts of risk of injury to a minor, three counts of second-degree threatening and three counts of second-degree breach of peace.

Jean-Pierre held on a $275,000 bond and was arraigned in New London court on Monday.

Police said this case is still under investigation.

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