Officer Jeffrey Schmaling.
DERBY — The city’s police commission recognized an officer who subdued a suspect carrying two handguns late last year on Anson Street.
“Patrolman (Jeffrey) Schmaling, through his observations and action, demonstrated the highest values of the Derby Police Department and is hereby recognized for his good work by the Derby Police Commission,” Thomas DeGennaro, chairman of the Derby Board of Police Commissioners, said at a meeting Monday (March 11).
According to a police incident report, Schmaling was on Anson Street on Dec. 27 when he recognized a car parked on the street that he had tried to pull over a few days earlier. He then saw the car’s driver, 44-year-old James Graziani, on the street.
Schmaling told Graziani to stop and put his hands on his car.
Graziani started to run, but Schmaling caught up and tackled him, according to the report.
While trying to subdue Graziani, Schmaling realized that Graziani had a gun sticking out his pants near the small of his back.
Schmaling grabbed the weapon and tossed it out of reach during the struggle – but Graziani got up and tried to run again.
Schmaling, thinking Graziani would run away or go for the discarded gun, used a Taser to bring him down.
Graziani then said he had a second gun tucked into his pants.
Graziani has prior felony convictions, which means he’s not supposed to have any guns.
One of the guns, a Kel-Tec P‑32, showed up as stolen in a national law enforcement database. Click here for a previous story.
Graziani was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a firearm, two counts of carrying a pistol without a permit, one count of illegal possession of a large capacity magazine, one count of stealing a firearm, and one count of interfering with an officer.
Graziani has been held at the Bridgeport Correctional Center since his arrest. He was scheduled to appear in court on March 12.
Thomas Lenart, Sr., a Derby police commissioner, recommended the board honor Schmaling’s effort.
At Monday’s police commission meeting Derby Police Chief Scott Todd read a recommendation for commendation authored by Sgt. Dan Dunstan.
“Officer Schmaling’s proactivity and awareness led to the recovery of two handguns which were in the possession of a convicted felon,” the chief said.
Schmaling has been an officer in Derby for about 14 months. He thanked the commission for the recognition but declined comment to a reporter asking about the incident. He previously worked as a police officer in Waterbury, having started in 2011.
