Mass. Police Officer Threatened with TASER in Struggle with Shoplifters
Wilbraham MA June 24th, 2022—An officer struggling to control two shoplifting suspects at the Home Depot on Boston Road Wednesday afternoon drew his firearm after one of the suspects grabbed the officer’s TASER and pointed it at him, police said.
Wilbraham Police Capt. Shawn Baldwin said the suspect who picked up the TASER did not discharge it and dropped it and ran when the officer drew his sidearm and pointed it at him.
He was taken into custody a short distance away, but the other suspect escaped.
Arrested was Jorge Luis Maldonado-Ramos, 34, of Hartford.
He is facing multiple charges including two counts of assault and battery on a police officer and a single count of assault and battery with an attempt to disarm a police officer, assault with a dangerous weapon, a TASER, possession of a dangerous weapon, a TASER, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
He was also charged with larceny of more than $1,200. Maldonado-Ramos is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Palmer District Court. He was held Wednesday night on $25,000 bail heading into the arraignment.
Police did not disclose the name of the officer involved in the incident.
When the officer arrived on scene just before 3 p.m. for a report of shoplifting, Maldonado-Ramos and the other man were seen walking out of the store with a large amount of Romex wiring.
Baldwin said there have been several reported thefts of wiring at Home Depots across Western Massachusetts and Connecticut by metal thieves. The wiring is targeted because it contains copper that can be resold.
Baldwin said the officer confronted the two men, and a struggle ensued with the officer and the unknown suspect wrestling on the ground.
At some point in the struggle, the unknown suspect was able to tear away the officer’s TASER and toss it to Maldonado-Ramos who picked it up and pointed it, Baldwin said.
The officer broke off his struggle with the other suspect, stepped back and drew his sidearm. He commanded Mardonado-Ramos to drop the TASER.
He dropped it, and then ran off. He was arrested a short distance away as backup officers from Wilbraham and an off-duty Hampden officer swarmed into the area.
The other suspect got into a car and drove off. Police pursued him toward Springfield but the chase was called off for safety reasons.
