Zayas acquitted on charge of trying to kill cop

GOSHEN – An Orange County Court jury Thursday found Raymond Zayas of Middletown not guilty on a charge of attempted murder of a police officer and aggravated assault on a police officer.

Zayas, 34, fired a gun through the door of his home in the City of Middletown during a domestic dispute with his wife. His bullets struck Police Officer Christopher Dolan, who has since recovered and returned to the beat. Two other officers were on the scene, but were not injured.
Zayas was convicted of first- and second-degree assault, attempted assault in the first degree and endangering the welfare of a child, his 15-month-old son who were there at the time.

When Zayas is sentenced, Assistant District Attorney Kelle Grimmer will ask for 40 years in prison.

The assault in the first degree carries a maximum 25 years in prison and the criminal possession of a weapon carries 15 years. Grimmer said the law is clear that those sentences can run consecutively. She is researching if the attempted assault in the first degree charges for the other officers can run consecutively.

Middletown Police Chief Matthew Byrne said he was disappointed by the verdict. “Although I appreciate the hard work of the jury and Ms. Grimmer, it is our police officers who have lost the most,” the chief said in a statement. “Mr. Zayas, in my opinion, has manipulated the truth to avoid responsibility for his cowardly actions of July 24, 2007.”

The chief said his officers “acted bravely and I am grateful for their service and proud of their actions.”

This was a second trial for Zayas. The first trial earlier this year was halted when it was learned that one of the jurors had made an unauthorized visit to the crime scene.

Zayas is to be sentenced on June 2.