On March 22, 2011, Eric R. Pearson (19), formerly of Lake Katrine and Kingston, was sentenced in Ulster County Court to 12 years in prison and 5 years of post-release supervision upon his plea of guilty to charges of Robbery in the Second Degree and Attempted Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer, stemming from events that occurred on Clinton Avenue in the City of Kingston the morning of March 18, 2010. The above sentence will be served consecutively to a sentence of 1 to 3 years on Pearson's previous conviction for Contempt.
At that time Officer Michael Pedersen of the Kingston Police Department attempted to take Pearson into custody on an arrest warrant issued by the Kingston City Court for Criminal Contempt in the First Degree. Pearson resisted and a struggle ensued, during which Pearson pulled the officer's Taser from his gun belt and fled on foot. When the officer caught up with him, Pearson fired the Taser at his head, injuring and momentarily immobilizing him. Officer Pedersen was able to pull his service revolver and defend himself, firing one shot which struck Pearson in the thigh.
District Attorney Holley Carnright stated "this is the first officer shooting case I have had since I have been the District Attorney. There is no greater threat to our system of justice than an assault against a police officer. This defendant was wanted on a warrant for a felony Criminal Contempt charge. It was broad daylight. Officer Pederson was in a marked patrol car and was in uniform, and he identified himself as a police officer. This young defendant should be thankful that Officer Pederson exercised the restraint that he did."
The case was prosecuted by Ulster County Chief Assistant District Attorney John Tobin.
