Sentencing delayed for man accused of hitting Farmington police officer

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The sentencing of a man who was arrested for crushing a Farmington police officer with his car three years ago was set to happen Tuesday, but the judge delayed it after the suspect raised concerns in court.

The defendant, 32-year-old Pedro Acevedo, agreed to a guilty plea in June, but he’s now claiming that he disagrees with certain details of his plea deal.

In Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday, Acevedo said he thought he agreed to second-degree assault rather than the first-degree and that he agreed to a 10-year maximum sentence. He also claimed there is police body camera that’s missing.

These claims conflict with the three charges he entered a plea guilty to relating to a September 2021 incident.

Acevedo is accused of pinning Farmington Police Officer James O’Donnell between his cruiser and a stolen getaway car . O’Donnell was seriously injured, barely surviving the brutal assault.

He has recovered and is back on the force, working for the Rocky Hill Police Department.

Because Acevedo made these claims, the judge said he needed to review court transcripts to determine whether they were founded.

The next court date is set for Oct. 31.

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