Greenwich Assault on an Officer Lawyer

Since the person is a police officer, there is an expectation in society that people will abide by a police officer’s lawful command because they cannot fulfill their function if someone is trying to attack them. The Connecticut legislature wants to discourage people from even trying to commit an assault on a police officer, so they take what are already potentially severe consequences for assault and make even them more severe than other assault cases.

If you were charged with assault on a police officer, you should seek the services of a top CT criminal defense attorney. A Greenwich assault on an officer lawyer could help defend you against the charges.

Who is Considered a Police Officer?

An individual can be charged with assault on an officer even if the alleged individual is not a police officer per se. Protected classes include other public servants, such as emergency medical personnel, and other types of law enforcement, which also includes Department of Corrections members. A knowledgeable Greenwich assault on an officer attorney could inform you on who is considered a police officer and how it could impact your case.

Most Common Example of Assault on an Officer

The most typical circumstance when an assault on an officer charges come up is when the officer is seeking to arrest the person for some other crime or reason and the person resists being arrested. In the process of resisting, they may take some actions against the police officer which actually causes a physical injury to the police officer. In this situation, the individual committed assault even though they may not have tried to do so.

How Authorities Treat Assault on an Officer Charges

Assault on an officer charges are very serious. If someone committed third-degree assault on a regular citizen, then they would be facing a misdemeanor. If the same actions take place but it is with the police officer, that bumps it up to a felony second-degree assault. If a second-degree assault is committed on an officer, it bumps into the range of a first-degree assault. Essentially, all the penalties are heavier when a person commits an offense against a police officer.

The likelihood that a defendant gets any kind of leniency is reduced because a person is less likely to have a mitigating circumstance that the judge is going to be willing to accept. Most of the time, there is not a good reason to be committing an assault on a police officer, so it is going to be harder to find a way to mitigate the charges.

In addition, prosecutors tend to be more sensitive when the alleged harmed individual from an attack is a police officer because prosecutors and law enforcement agents work together regularly. They are on the same team, so to speak. An assault on a police officer is often viewed by a prosecutor as an attack on their co-worker.

Assault on an Off-Duty Officer

Assault on an off-duty police officer will be charged as just a regular assault. However, it is hard to completely separate the idea that somebody is a police officer. It creates a more sensitive situation because the prosecutor is more likely to know the police officer, know the way that the assault might affect them, and know everything that the officer has done to help society.

They view it as an attack that creates a disruption in the orderly affairs of society. That said, assuming the officer is clearly not on duty and just acting as a civilian, it should not have an effect that is insurmountable. It just creates a more difficult scenario than otherwise there would be.

Contact a Greenwich Assault on an Officer Attorney

If you are facing charges of assault on a police officer, you should not risk handling your case alone. The best criminal defense lawyers know that these charges can have serious consequences, including heavy fines and jail time. For help crafting an optimum defense, you should contact a Greenwich assault on an officer lawyer as soon as possible.