Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting RVC Cop; Will Receive 13 Years in Prison

Frazier led police on high-speed chase, crashed into police car and injured cop in struggle; Grand Jury upgraded charge

MINEOLA, NY - Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that Brian Frazier, 38, of Jamaica, Queens, has pleaded guilty to assault after leading Rockville Centre Police on an early morning high-speed chase that ended with Frazier ramming a police car and severely injury an officer.

Following the incident, Frazier was charged with Assault in the Second Degree, which carries a maximum sentence of only seven years in prison. When Rice’s office received the case, she made the decision to pursue an elevated charge of first-degree assault against the defendant. In September 2008, a grand jury lodged an indictment charging the defendant with Assault in the First Degree. Frazier pleaded guilty to the charge this morning in exchange for a promised sentence of 13 years in prison. He will be sentenced tomorrow.

“The officer in this case, and police officers everywhere, deserved better than to watch Mr. Frazier walk out of prison after only a few years,” Rice said. “I will not tolerate attacks on the men and women who keep our families safe, and when they are injured on the job I will continue to push for charges and prison sentences that recognize the danger these incidents pose to our community.”

Rice said that at about 4:30 a.m. on July 31, 2008, the Rockville Centre Police Department received a call for a suspicious male wearing a ski cap near the corner of North Village Avenue and Lexington Street. While en route to the area, the suspect was seen entering a gold Chrysler. Responding officers attempted to pull the Chrysler over as it drove northbound on Peninsula Boulevard, reaching speeds of 65 miles per hour. An unknown passenger in the vehicle jumped out of the car during one of several brief stops the Chrysler made on Peninsula Boulevard. He has yet to be apprehended.

As the chase neared Dean Skelos Park, the Chrysler swerved towards a police cruiser positioned on the median.The Chrysler slammed into the police car, totaling the vehicle and severely injuring the occupant, Police Officer Ernest Ziegler.The Chrysler then drove across the southbound lanes and struck a barrier by the park. Frazier, the driver of the Chrysler, fled from the vehicle on foot and was pursued by another Rockville Centre police officer. A struggle ensued and the police officer was able to place Frazier under arrest, though not before sustaining injuries to his right hand, foot and right thumb.Officer Ziegler sustained severe neck and spinal injuries that have required spinal fusion surgery. He has yet to return to active duty.

Assistant District Attorneys Everett Witherell and Matthew Connolly of the County Court Trial Bureau are handling the case for the DA’s Office. The defendant is represented by William Rost, Esq.