Man accused of stabbing Woodbury police officer held on $3 million bond

WOODBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — The man accused of stabbing a Woodbury police officer during a traffic stop appeared in court Friday afternoon.

State Police Sgt. Luke Davis said Officer Tim Wright pulled Tyler Wilmot, 31, of Woodbury, over at 1:24 p.m. on North Main Street in Woodbury for failing to properly display a registration plate.

Davis said Wilmot got out of his car, became verbally aggressive, and a physical altercation ensued. Wilmot allegedly then stabbed Wright in the neck and tried to run away. At 1:28 p.m., Wright activated the emergency button on his radio, calling for help. Additional units responded and took Wilmot into custody after tasing him, according to state police.

A sergeant with the state police rushed Wright, who has 35 years of experience with law enforcement, to the hospital for treatment. On Friday, police said he was recovering and in good spirits and was scheduled to be discharged soon.

On Friday, prosecutors said the suspect has a history with Wright, describing it as an “obsession.” The suspect allegedly had an “axe to grind,” according to prosecutors.

“Yesterday afternoon [Thursday] after his arrest, this defendant made comments on body camera to the police several hours later — ‘Is he dead yet?’ And, ‘I hope he dies.’ Those comments were recorded on body camera and certainly showed the intent to kill this officer.”

Wilmot was treated at a hospital and released. He was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, criminal attempt to commit murder, assault on a public safety officer, interfering with an officer/resisting, operating a motor vehicle without a license, illegible license plate and failure to display a registration plate.

“I would like the court to take into consideration that Mr. Wilmot exhibited extreme mental health issues, and we ask that the bail commissioner’s recommendation not be exceeded, your honor,” Wilmot’s public defender said.

In May 2024, Wilmot was charged with assault with a deadly weapon in California following a road rage incident. Prosecutors said he hit a man with a tire iron. They also said that while previously incarcerated in Connecticut on other charges, he made threats to both Wright and the other officer who responded to the scene Thursday.

Wilmot’s bond remains at $3 million and is due in court on Oct. 9.

“Officer Tim Wright and his family are in our entire state’s thoughts and prayers tonight,” Sen. Eric Berthel, who represents Woodbury, said. “We commend state police for quickly coming to Officer Wright’s aid and getting him rushed to medical attention. We are very encouraged to hear Officer Wright is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. We are thinking about and praying for Officer Wright and all our law enforcement personnel who make tremendous sacrifices to protect us every day.”

The Western District Major Crime Squad is investigating.

The video below is from News 8 at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 3.

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