Farmington Man Pleads Not Guilty To Allegations He Wrestled With Plainville Police

By Justin Muszynski, The Bristol Press

July 27,2022

A Farmington man has pleaded not guilty to allegations of wrestling with a police officer while trying to flee investigators when they were looking into a domestic violence incident.

Andrew Stierer, 26, appeared before a judge last week in New Britain Superior Court, where he entered not guilty pleas to charges of assault on a police officer, interfering/resisting arrest, fourth-degree larceny and disorderly conduct.

Stierer is free without having to post bond and is due back in court on Sept. 7 for a pretrial hearing.

According to police, Stierer was arrested Jan. 7 when an officer was patrolling the area of New Britain Avenue on Jan. 7, around 4:14 a.m., during a snowstorm when he encountered Stierer walking in the middle of the street. Shortly after speaking with him, another man drove up behind the officer’s cruiser and got out of his vehicle, telling police that he and Stierer had been driving together when they got into an argument.

No charges were immediately filed until, around 4:46 a.m., police were called to the Xtra Mart parking lot, at 149 New Britain Ave., after receiving a 911 call and hearing ruffling noises. The man who called 911 was the same person who had gotten into an argument with Stierer earlier in the day. He told police that, after the earlier incident, he found Stierer walking on New Britain Avenue and picked him up, according to the report.

The man said Stierer had gotten upset once again when he refused to drive Stierer to Hartford, the report said. The man also told police Stierer suffers from a drug addiction and recently relapsed, police wrote in the report. Officers noted that it’s possible Stierer wanted to go to Hartford to buy drugs.

During the altercation, police wrote, the man said Stierer began grabbing at his clothing and car keys. Police said in the report that they were later able to view video surveillance in the area, which showed Stierer acting as the “dominant aggressor,” pushing the man and pulling at his clothing.

While police were in the Xtra Mart investigating, an officer called for help on the police radio, saying Stierer was running away from the scene, according to the report. An officer then encountered Stierer and another policeman in front of the Wendy’s restaurant. The officer wrote in the report that the two were wrestling in the snow. Police were able to gain control of Stierer and handcuff him after struggling for a few minutes, according to police.

Stierer, police said, initially dropped to the ground and refused to get inside a police cruiser. Once inside the cruiser, police said he slammed his head against the interior of the car. While being transported to the police department, according to police, Stierer used vulgar language and a number of profanities toward an officer, calling him a child molester and using a derogatory slur aimed at homosexuals.

Justin Muszynski can be reached at 860-973-1809 or jmuszynski@bristolpress.com.