FARMINGTON, Conn. — It's been over two weeks since officer James O'Donnell was seriously injured confronting suspects vandalizing cars. But, on Tuesday morning, the person police say is responsible was arrested and arraigned.
The wife of that officer is now speaking out after the man's arrest.
Kris O’Donnell, the wife of officer James O’Donnell, released two statements Tuesday in light of the news that 32-year-old Pedro Acevedo was set to be arrested for seriously injuring her husband last month.
“After recent events regarding social reform, a law was passed which limited the ability of law enforcement to protect the public. While this law was a response to a national social injustice movement, the legislators did not take into account the drastic impact it would have on society,” she said in a statement on Facebook. “While serious crime is on the rise, this law is impeding the authority to protect the overall innocent.”
She said innocent people are “suffering” from this rise in crime and she wants people to be held accountable for their criminal actions.
“Training is not the problem here. A lack of respect and lack of accountability for criminals is the problem,” Kris O’Donnell said. “Let’s work as a community to build trust and respect between citizens and law enforcement because we need one another.”
Her statement came after Farmington officials announced Tuesday morning they intend to serve Acevedo with an arrest warrant. The exact charges are not known at this time.
RELATED: Farmington officer pinned by fleeing suspect faces long recovery from injuries, officials say
Acevedo is accused of crawling under the vehicles of residents at Forest Condominium Complex on Talcott Forest Road around 1 a.m. on Sept. 20.
When James O’Donnell, a three-year veteran with the department, arrived at the scene, he parked his cruiser behind the stolen vehicle Acevedo was driving.
Acevedo backed up his vehicle, hitting O’Donnell and pinning him against the cruiser before fleeing. According to police, Acevedo went careening over speed bumps into the condo complex before jumping out of the vehicle and running into the woods nearby.
Police dogs were taken to the scene to try and find Acevedo but were not successful.
Because of his extensive criminal history, which dates back to 2007, Acevedo had his bond bumped up from $500,000 to $750,000.
Farmington Police Chief Paul Melanson says Acevedo showed no remorse when they served him with an arrest warrant.
"He’s been terrorizing Connecticut citizens for years and you know today he was brought to justice once again," Melanson said.
Acevedo was already in custody on an unrelated arrest he picked up three days after the September 20 incident at The Woods.
O’Donnell learned about the arrest of Acevedo right before he was served the warrant.
"They were able to FaceTime him from rollcall this morning, which was good," Melanson added.
O'Donnell suffered multiple broken bones and is recovering. Officials said he will have a lengthy rehabilitation to fully recover.
In a second, strongly-worded statement, Kris O’Donnell said her husband is “really not doing well” and the family is taking it day-by-day.
“Overall, the abdomen was collapsed. The sacrum was broken in multiple places requiring screws. The hip/pelvic region was ‘smashed,’ as the surgeon put it,” she said. “A rod was inserted to stabilize the pelvis. This will need to be removed down the road. The right foot was also broken. Countless contusions covered the entire body.”
She added: “At this time, I do not believe I can muster up the strength to be face to face with someone who consciously made a choice to try to kill my husband. My two-year-old son, Andrew, and my six-month-old daughter, Saoirse, deserve to grow up to know their father. Maybe legislators will listen to that statement.”.
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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