Community Corner

Suspect in Stamford Officer Injury Case Arrested on Robbery, Pursuit Charges

The man involved in a foot pursuit over a bridge that left a Stamford police officer severely injured was arrested early Tuesday morning along with a second suspect for the alleged robbery of a man leaving a poker game.

According to Capt. Richard Conklin, suspects Frank O. Douglas, 31, of 20 Larkin Court in Stratford, and Cecil Hunte, 25, of 130-41 234th Street In Laurelton, NY, were charged following a pursuit through Stamford after police stumbled upon a man bleeding from the head.

Douglas was suspected of being involved in a robbery back in May 2012, and the pursuit of Douglas resulted in Officer Troy Strauser, 38, 6-year veteran and father of three, falling from the Reed Street Bridge and onto I-95, leaving him severely injured. Strauser has yet to return to the department since the incident.

At approximately 2:55 a.m. Tuesday, police fortuitously came across the victim, who said he'd just been robbed of a large sum of money while leaving a "high stakes" poker game, according to Conklin. He pointed to a car fleeing the area at a high rate of speed and indicated that car contained the men who robbed him, Conklin said.

Police began a pursuit of the newer-model Toyota. Douglas fled from the vehicle in the area of Hamilton Avenue and Culloden Road, Conklin said. Some officers broke off from the pursuit to chase Douglas on foot and, after catching up to Douglas while he attempted to navigate a fence in the backyard of 169 Culloden Road, he was taken into custody following a brief struggle, according to Conklin.

On his person, Conklin said they recovered a cellphone belonging to the victim.

Hunte pulled over his vehicle at the Gulf gas station located at 1125 East Main Street and was taken into custody following a brief struggle, Conklin said. In the car, police allegedly recovered the $5,000 belonging to the victim.

Douglas was charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, conspiracy counts on both those charges and interfering with an officer/resisting.

Hunte faces the same charges and additionally was charged with possession of a controlled substance - less than 4 ounces of marijuana, engaging police in a pursuit, reckless driving and failure to obey a stop sign.

Both were issued $150,000 bonds and given court dates of October 7, 2013. Both were scheduled for arraignment Tuesday.


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