New State Law Prompted by Injuries Suffered by Stamford Cop is Signed by Malloy

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has signed new legislation into law that will increase the criminal penalty for interfering with a police officer when that interference results in the death or serious injury of another person.

At the bill signing on Friday was State Sen. Carlo Leone (D-Stamford) who helped get the bill passed in the 2013 legislative session.

In a statement released by Leone's office, he said, “Last year’s police chase from Stamford to Norwalk exposed a serious loophole in our law. Officer Troy Strauser was critically injured while in pursuit of suspect who had fled from the police, leading them in a chase across three towns. The penalty for this was only a misdemeanor, and god forbid if Officer Strauser or a passerby had died, it would have left his wife and family behind, and this still would have been a misdemeanor. I am glad to see our law strengthened and the penalty for interfering with an officer increased.” 

The legislation was motivated by a May 2012 police chase in which a Stamford officer was critically wounded. The chase began in Stamford when the car of Frank Douglas of Norwalk was seen to meet the description of a car involved in a robbery that same day. The chase continued by car onto Interstate 95 and into Norwalk.

After spike strips caused Douglas to crash, the chase continued on foot, during which Officer Troy Strauser fell off a 20 foot bridge onto the highway below.

Douglas was on parole at the time, and had previous felony convictions. He pled guilty to a mere misdemeanor, and was only sentenced to time served, with three years of probation and 300 hours of community service.

Public Act 13-300 will increase the penalty, from a class A misdemeanor to a class D felony, for anyone whose interference with a police officer or firefighter performing his or her duties causes the death of or serious injury to another person.

Now signed by Malloy, the new law will take effect on Oct. 1.