DOJ obtains lengthy sentence in assault of Newark police officer

A Newark man has been sentenced to prison for a 2022 incident where he assaulted a police officer and resisted arrest.

On July 24, Rodney Duffy, 39, was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a New Castle County Superior Court judge. The sentence follows Duffy's guilty pleas to one count of Assault First Degree and one count of Resisting Arrest with Force.

"There is no justification whatsoever for the defendant's brutal, impulsive, and callous actions," said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. "Our thoughts are with the victim, whose injuries forced him to end a yearslong career in law enforcement. I'm grateful to the police and trial team who secured justice for his attacker."

On December 13, 2022, the Newark Police Department received a call about Duffy from the Suburban Drive Acme, whose staff reported a shoplifting in progress. When the police officer who arrived tried to detain him, Duffy began assaulting the officer, hitting his head repeatedly, seriously injuring him, and attempting to remove the officer's gun from its holster. Following the incident, the officer was forced to retire as a result of his injuries.

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