BWC: Conn. officer tackles suspect after narrowly escaping attack by knife-wielding man

By Joe Wojtas
The Day, New London, Conn.

STONINGTON, Conn. — Stonington police released body-camera video on Wednesday of a Pawcatuck man trying to slash an officer with one of two large knives he was holding.

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The Aug. 23 video from Officer Peter Sieczkiewicz’s body camera shows him narrowly avoiding the knife and then tackling William W. Frick, 32, with the help of Officer Anthony Brito.

Police charged Frick, of 24 Elaine St., with criminal attempt to commit first-degree assault, assault on a police officer, third-degree assault on an elderly victim, disorderly conduct, payment card theft, second-degree threatening and carrying a dangerous weapon. He is being held on a $100,000 bond at the Corrigan Correctional Center in Montville. He is next scheduled to appear in New London Superior Court on Sept.13.

Pollce were called to Frick’s home on Elaine Street by his parents, who were reporting a domestic disturbance. Police said Frick had assaulted his father and threatened to kill him.

The video shows Sieczkiewicz driving to the home and receiving information from the dispatch center about the dispute.

When Sieczkiewicz arrives and opens the door to the house, Frick is standing a few feet away with his right hand behind his back. Sieczkiewicz tells Frick “let me see your hands. Let me see your hands.”

Frick then lunges at the officer and swings his right hand holding the knife at his head. Frick’s hand but not the knife hits Sieczkiewicz in the face.

As Frick continues to scream profanities at the officers, they hold him down and try to force him to drop the knife. They soon find he had dropped a second knife.

Frick then repeatedly tell the officers to “kill me now.”

Frick then begins laughing as the two officers are able to put handcuffs on him. They then go inside to check on Frick’s parents.

One of the officers and Frick’s father sustained minor injuries but did not need to go to the hospital.

After the incident, Deputy Chief Todd Olsen praised Sieczkiewicz and Brito for how they handled a potentially deadly situation.

“The two officers did an outstanding job taking control of a large male subject who attacked them while holding knives in both hands,” he said “This could have turned out a lot worse.”

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