2011 Connecticut Code
Title 53a Penal Code
Chapter 952 Penal Code: Offenses
Sec. 53a-167a. Interfering with an officer: Class A misdemeanor.

      Sec. 53a-167a. Interfering with an officer: Class A misdemeanor. (a) A person is guilty of interfering with an officer when such person obstructs, resists, hinders or endangers any peace officer, special policeman appointed under section 29-18b, motor vehicle inspector designated under section 14-8 and certified pursuant to section 7-294d or firefighter in the performance of such peace officer's, special policeman's, motor vehicle inspector's or firefighter's duties.

      (b) Interfering with an officer is a class A misdemeanor.

      (1971, P.A. 871, S. 50; P.A. 76-225; P.A. 01-84, S. 11, 26; P.A. 05-180, S. 4; P.A. 08-150, S. 52; P.A. 10-36, S. 22; 10-110, S. 51.)

      History: P.A. 76-225 reworded Subsec. (a) to eliminate redundant reference to interference with peace officer or fireman and made interference with an officer a Class A misdemeanor rather than a Class D felony; P.A. 01-84 amended Subsec. (a) to replace "fireman" with "firefighter" and make other technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 05-180 amended Subsec. (a) to include a special policeman appointed under Sec. 29-18b within purview of subsection; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (a) to include Department of Motor Vehicles inspector appointed under Sec. 14-8 and certified pursuant to Sec. 7-294d within purview of section; P.A. 10-36 amended Subsec. (a) to replace "Department of Motor Vehicles inspector appointed" with "motor vehicle inspector designated", add "motor vehicle inspector's" re performance of duties and make a technical change, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 10-110 made a technical change in Subsec. (a).

      Cited. 182 C. 242. Cited. 189 C. 1. Cited. 191 C. 433. Cited. 194 C. 347. Cited. 195 C. 668. Cited. 198 C. 43. Cited. 205 C. 456. Cited. 211 C. 389. Cited. 220 C. 38. Cited. 230 C. 400. Cited. 234 C. 78. Cited. 236 C. 214. Refusal to comply with police command to provide identification following a Terry stop may constitute a violation of section even if such refusal is unaccompanied by any physical force or other affirmative act; statute broadly proscribes conduct that hinders, obstructs or impedes a police officer in performance of duties irrespective of whether offending conduct is active or passive. 280 C. 824. Regarding 2003 revision, Appellate Court's determination that evidence was insufficient to support defendant's conviction and that defendant lacked requisite intent was improper in case where defendant, when asked to produce license and registration, swore at officer and left scene, and potential applicability of Sec. 14-217 to present case does not preclude conviction under this section which was drafted expansively to encompass wide range of conduct. 285 C. 447.

      Cited. 1 CA 540; Id., 709. Cited. 5 CA 616. Statute meets requirement of fair notice to defendant. 6 CA 407. Cited. 7 CA 257. Cited. 8 CA 153. Cited. 10 CA 486; Id., 532. Cited. 12 CA 364. Cited. 14 CA 10. Cited. 15 CA 58; Id., 161. Cited. 18 CA 104. Cited. 21 CA 326. Cited. 22 CA 10; Id., 683. Cited. 23 CA 83; Id., 447; Id., 479. Cited. 24 CA 473; judgment reversed in part, see 221 C. 788; Id., 598. Cited. 27 CA 49; Id., 103. Cited. 28 CA 369. Cited. 30 CA 45. Cited. 31 CA 178. Cited. 36 CA 106; judgment reversed, see 234 C. 78. Cited. 37 CA 276. Cited. 38 CA 56. Cited. 40 CA 601. Cited. 42 CA 507. Cited. 43 CA 76. Cited. 45 CA 369. Cited. 46 CA 118. Broad intent is to prohibit conduct that hampers activities of police in performance of their duties, including physical resistance as well as defendant's conduct in this case, in which, after officer saw defendant in window and ordered him at gunpoint to get down and show his hands, defendant reentered building and fled through another window. 66 CA 357. Legislature did not intend failure to identify oneself instantly and voicing of declaratory statements, such as "this isn't Russia," to constitute interference or obstruction under section. 86 CA 363. Interfering with an officer is lesser offense included in greater offense of assault of public safety personnel and thus conviction of both offenses for same act constituted double jeopardy violation. Id., 607. Conviction reversed in case where defendant, when asked to produce license and registration, swore at officer and left scene to bring brother to hospital because section requires physical struggle, attempt to escape or to destroy evidence and there was not sufficient evidence to support conviction under section. 93 CA 349; judgment reversed, see 285 C. 447. Evidence was sufficient to support conviction for interfering with an officer. 96 CA 341. Defendant who placed arresting officer in head lock was in violation of section regardless of whether officer had probable cause for making the arrest. 98 CA 350.

      Cited. 33 CS 4. Construed. Id., 515. Intention to interfere is necessary element of offense; charge to jury also required knowledge of officer's duty; unlawful entry by officer would not be "in the performance of his duties", so proof of lawfulness is essential element of state's case and Sec. 53a-23 is applicable. 34 CS 531. Evidence was sufficient to sustain conviction. Id., 549. Cited. 36 CS 89. Cited. 37 CS 767. Cited. 38 CS 364; Id., 400; Id., 665. Cited. 39 CS 347. Cited. 43 CS 46.

      Subsec. (a):

      Cited. 221 C. 788. In order to sustain a conviction under statute, there must be a finding that police officers had been acting in the performance of their duties. 261 C. 553.

      Defendant acted with the intent to interfere with the performance of the officers' duties; defendant's act does not have to be successful. 1 CA 669. Cited. 5 CA 496. Cited. 9 CA 255. Cited. 17 CA 104. Cited. 21 CA 260. Cited. 23 CA 123. Cited. 24 CA 195; Id., 489. Cited. 25 CA 3, 5. Cited. 32 CA 224. Cited. 33 CA 509. Cited. 41 CA 584. Cited. 46 CA 791. There was sufficient evidence to support conviction of interfering with an officer where defendant provided police with a false name when asked for his name at crime scene and again while being booked for drug offenses at police headquarters. 110 CA 778. Conviction of both assault of peace officer under Subdiv. (1) of this Subsec. and interfering with officer under Sec. 53a-167a(a) constitutes double jeopardy; Subdiv. (1) is not unconstitutionally void for vagueness re defendant's conduct because it provides fair warning that a specific intent to injure officer is not an element of the offense. 119 CA 556.

      Subsec. (c):

      Cited. 13 CA 667.