Two Connecticut Optometrists don't see eye to eye, one shoots the other.

[Joann Raytar]

Wow, I've driven past this place and often thought about stopping in to say hello.

http://www.wfsb.com/Global/story.asp...1&nav=1VGlNg25

Double shooting at a doctor's office
(Seymour-AP) -- A Seymour town official says a police officer shot and killed an optometrist this afternoon after the man opened fire on another eye doctor.

The victim was not identified, but First Selectman Bob Koskelowski says Doctor George Zepos of Seymour survived his wounds after being shot twice inside his office by his assailant.

Koskelowski says the shooting marked the first time Seymour police have used deadly force. Officials did not identify the officer.

Neither he nor police would identify the dead optometrist. But Koskelowski says the man was his former eye doctor and had a practice in Oxford.

Police had no details on the motive for the shooting, which occurred about 4:30 p-m inside the Seymour Optometric Center. Police received a call that a man with a gun entered the office and began shooting.

The area was cordoned off for several hours while police processed the scene.

It's a weird world when eye doctors get so involved with business that they kill each other over it.

http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=1919247

Shootout at eye care clinic; One doctor killed by police


(Seymour-WTNH, June 4, 2004 Updated 11:03 PM) _ An optometrist was shot and killed by a Seymour Police officer Friday after he fired shots at another optometrist. That doctor was listed in critical condition.

• Watch the story by News Channel 8's Bob Wilson

Dennis A. Kissel, OD, was shot at Seymour Optometric Center at 25 New Haven Avenue, and died later at the hospital. His target was Dr. George Tzepos, OD, who works at Seymour Optometric.

Police were called to the office at 4:30 p.m. "The emergency report was that there was shots fired in the office. There was wounded and the shooter was still on the scene," said State Police spokesman Sgt. J. Paul Vance.

When police confronted Kissel, he "made a threatening gesture toward the officer," Sgt. Vance said. The officer fired and wounded Kissel. He died later in the emergency room at Griffin Hospital in Derby.

Tzepos was reported in critical condition at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He was hit once in the head and once in the hand.

According to police there were several witnesses in the office at the time of the shooting. A nurse told police "there was a disagreement of some sort that took place inside that office building," Sgt. Vance said.

According to the Associated Press, Seymour First Selectman Bob Koskelowski says this is the first time Seymour police have used deadly force.

The State Police Major Crimes Squad is investigating what happened, which is standard procedure when a police officer has to use deadly force.

The officer who fired the fatal shots was put on administrative leave. The officer was not identified, which is also standard procedure.

[HarryC]

http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.asp?brd=1281

Now this is breaking news. I've heard of going postal, but going optical?

[drk]

Hey, if you're registered, can you cut and paste the article? Remember, I'm an optometrist, and I'm dangerous.

[HarryC]

SEYMOUR — A town police officer fatally shot an Oxford optometrist Friday afternoon after the man allegedly wounded another optometrist in the latter’s New Haven Avenue office, state police said.

Dennis Kissel, 60, died at about 6 p.m. at Griffin Hospital after an unidentified town police officer shot him at the office of optometrist George Tzepos at 25 New Haven Ave., state police said. Tzepos, 37, of Bethany, was wounded twice when Kissel allegedly shot him in a bizarre incident that unfolded at 4:30 p.m.

State police said the two men had argued, but declined to say more about what happened before officers arrived at the office not far from Route 8’s Exit 22. State police spokesman Sgt. J. Paul Vance said the Seymour officer discharged his weapon because Kissel came at him in a threatening manner.

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" target="_blank"> http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&PAG=461&BRD=1281&LOCALPCT=50&AR EA=410&VERT=349&barnd=9645" target="_blank">http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads...349&barnd=9645 Vance also said investigators were not sure whether Kissel and Tzepos knew each other, though witnesses said they did. Vance also said police do not know what motivated the attack.

Vance declined to say whether Kissel was armed when he was shot.

But Tzepos’ office assistant, Kim Chernecky of Bethany, said Kissel arrived at the office at about 4:30 p.m., claimed that he had sawdust in his eye and gave a false name to gain an appointment with Tzepos.

"He seemed confused," said Chernecky. "The last thing I thought (was that) he had was a gun in his hand."

Once in the office, Kissel shut the door and immediately starting shooting at Tzepos, Chernecky said.

Two bullets grazed the left side of Tzepos’s skull and one hit his hand before Tzepos, who has a black belt in karate, wrestled the gun away from Kissel and locked him in the office, she said.

Chernecky said she held the door shut until the police arrived at about 4:35. An hour later, her green scrubs were still covered in blood as she related her story to police.

When Seymour police, responding to 911 calls, arrived and opened the door, Kissel lunged at them, said Chernecky, who said police then shot Kissel in the chest.

Vance said two guns were seized at the scene, the one allegedly used by Kissel and the police officer’s service weapon. Vance also said Kissel’s body would be brought to the chief state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy today. He declined to say how many times Kissel had been shot.

Tzepos’ injuries are not life-threatening, police said, and witnesses said he waved and smiled at co-workers as he was carried out of the office. He was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital where he was being treated in the emergency room late Friday.

A spokesperson at the hospital would not provide any information about his condition.

George Tzepos’ brother, James Tzepos, said he thinks his brother survived the attack because of his martial arts training

"I know he must have deflected the gun with his hand so that he only got grazed. We’re all so happy he didn’t get seriously injured," James Tzepos said.

James Tzepos said his brother lives in Bethany with his wife and three young children.

James Tzepos said he did not know why Kissel would shoot his brother. "We’re all trying to figure that out," he said.

Seymour police Lt. Robert Fox decline to comment, referring all questions to Vance. The state Police Major Crime Squad has been called in to assist in the investigation.

Vance said the Seymour officer has been placed on administrative leave. He said state police would do an internal investigation into the shooting by the police office, if Seymour police requested it.

Following the shooting, Chernecky comforted Tzepos’ parents and sister as they arrived at the scene. Chernecky assured them that he was fine.

A patient at the office, who identified himself as John from Danbury, but declined to provide his full name, arrived at the office at 4:55 p.m., five minutes late for his appointment, just in time to see Tzepos being wheeled out on a stretcher. "I could have been there," he said.

Kissel’s wife Linda Kissel said her husband had been an optometrist for 34 years and had an office on Towner Lane in Oxford.

Linda Kissel said her husband knew Tzepos, but she did not elaborate.

The couple had no children.

Rita Kissel of Southbury, Dennis Kissel’s aunt, described her nephew as a "‘very nice, very gentle" man.

"He’s quiet, his wife is quiet," Rita Kissel said. "We’re all quiet people."

Fred Rowland, who lives near Kissel’s office on Towner Lane, said neighbors were shocked to learn that the eye doctor had shot another optometrist.

"He was a quiet guy and a good neighbor. We’ve known the family our entire lives and can’t believe this," Rowland said.

[karen]

I was in Chicago at a sales meeting sponsored by OSI ( a group of independent labs) and one of the guys there is the rep that calls on Dr Szepo-he uses their lab. He also knew the other doctor and said he was a little different. Apparently there had even been talk in the past of merging the 2 practices. The cops thought Kissel was pulling a gun on them so they shot.