A 26-year-old man was charged with arson for allegedly setting fire to the home of the father of a New York trooper who gave him tickets.
Tyler Williams, 26, of Middletown, is facing a charge of arson in the second degree and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said.
The charge stems for an alleged incident that took place late December.
According to court documents, on the evening of Dec. 20, 2023, a New York state trooper pulled over Williams in Middletown and issued him traffic tickets. The following morning, a fire broke out at the home of the trooper’s father in Warwick.
A subsequent five-month, multi-department investigation that involved more than 20 search warrants, digital forensics and subpoenas, Williams was arrested and charged as having set the fire after the investigation allegedly revealed that in the hours after being issued the traffic tickets and before setting the fire, he used various search websites in an effort to learn the address of the trooper who ticketed him.
“Law enforcement officers, who are the backbone of the safety of our community, must be protected for doing the dangerous work that they do,” Hoovler said. “Our community will not permit such horrifying conduct as is alleged in this case to go unchecked.”
The New York State Police Troop F commander, Maj. Michael W. Sumnick, shared similar sentiments, saying in part that Williams’ arrest “should send a clear message that law enforcement will stop at nothing to hold dangerous criminals who endanger the lives of others accountable for their actions. We will not tolerate this type of reprehensible behavior in which a member of law enforcement was targeted for simply carrying out his duty.”
Attorney information for Williams was not immediately known.
