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When police asked Burnett to step out of the vehicle, he refused and stepped on the gas. One of the officers was dragged along with the moving vehicle.
By Forum Staff
A Jamaica man has entered two separate guilty pleas—one for assaulting a police officer during a traffic stop and the other for stealing the identity of an autistic man, Chief Assistant District Attorney John Ryan announced on Tuesday on behalf of Queens DA Richard Brown.
The attack stems from a car stop in July 2017, at which time a City cop was injured. When Joel Burnett was arrested in the assault case, it was discovered that he had assumed the identity of an autistic man for nearly two decades, Ryan noted.
Burnett, 40, pleaded guilty on Thursday to first-degree assault for the incident that injured the officer. Burnett pleaded guilty on Monday to second-degree identity theft. Sentencing is scheduled for April 2, at which time Burnett will be sentenced to 13.5 years in prison to be followed by five years post-release supervision for the assault on the cop; and 1.5 to three years in prison for identity theft. Ryan pointed out that both sentences are to be served concurrently.
According to the charges, on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 26, 2017, officers from the 103rd Precinct observed Burnett run a stop sign; the cops then attempted to stop the driver of the black Nissan Maxima in the vicinity of 110th Avenue in Jamaica. Burnett produced a U.S. Virgin Islands driver’s license in the name of the autistic man. When police asked Burnett to step out of the vehicle, he refused and stepped on the gas. One of the officers was dragged along with the moving vehicle. When Burnett’s car collided with another vehicle, Burnett jumped out, but the injured officer was able to free himself from the vehicle and apprehend Burnett. As a result of being dragged for two city blocks, the resilient cop was treated for injuries, including bruising and a fractured knee.
According to the charges in the identity theft case, the defendant’s given name at birth is Joel Burnett. The defendant filed for and obtained a Visa to emigrate from his native Jamaica to the United States on July 19, 2000. Upon gaining entry to the U.S., Burnett assumed the identity of a severely autistic man who lives in a group home. For the last 19 years, Burnett used the assumed identity as well as the birth date of the victim.
“In pleading guilty, the defendant admitted to intentionally using his vehicle as a weapon against a police officer who was doing his job when he and his partner observed the defendant run a stop sign. The defendant refused—when ordered—to exit his vehicle and instead stepped on the gas. One of the police officers was dragged and sustained serious injuries as a result of the defendant’s actions,” Ryan said. “The second case, in which the defendant has also admitted his guilt, he stole the identity of an autistic man living in a group home. The defendant lived with this stolen identity for nearly two decades. As a result of his illegal actions, the defendant will be incarcerated.”
