Police: Fairfield County Man Threatened Harm Local Students

By Daniel DeBlasio

A Fairfield man was taken into custody Tuesday after making disturbing claims to police regarding his intent to harm local students.

According to police, Joseph Russo, 44, allegedly threatening to harm, traumatize and take local elementary school students hostage. Russo provided disturbing details of his intent and said he had thought about harming children for years and that he was going to carry out his actions one day, according to police.

Russo told police he wanted immediate help regarding his troubling thoughts so he wouldn’t act on his current belief of hurting school children. Based on the officer’s findings and interview they determined Russo posed a significant and potential danger to others and transported him to St. Vincent’s Medical Center for evaluation, according to police.

Police determined that sufficient probable cause existed to charge Russo with Threatening an Act of Terrorism and First-Degree Threatening. He was served a warrant on these charges when he was released from the medical facility Tuesday, according to police.