Woman Tries to Run Over State Trooper at Tree-Trimming Detail

BURLINGTON, CT — A woman who claimed she was "mad at the police" and upset at a Donald Trump presidency tried to run over a trooper who was on an extra duty detail to protect a tree trimming crew in the first place, state police said on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday at 2:48 p.m. on Route 69, state police said. A trooper was directing one-lane, alternating traffic on one side of the road while the tree-trimming crew worked in another, state police said.

A member of the tree crew told the trooper it was time to move forward, so the trooper began to walk back to his cruiser, which had its lights on, state police said.

A driver, identified as 58-year-old Eileen Pierce of Harwinton, veered into the northbound lane where the trooper was positioned and drove her dark-colored Subaru wagon directly at him, state police said.

The trooper quickly moved and barely avoided being struck, state police said. Pierce was yelling and shaking her fist at the trooper and then nearly hit three tree-trimming trucks and workers as she continued on to the south, state police said.

The trooper chased the car down and pulled it over, state police said. When questioned, Pierce told the trooper she was made at the police, she "had been victimized over her lifetime" and that "officers are being murdered because police tend to abuse our rights," state police said.

She also said she was angry that Donald Trump had been elected president, according to a state police report.

She was "emotionally rambling" at the scene, according to a state police report.

Pierce was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, second-degree criminal attempt at assault and a construction zone violation, state police said.

She was being held on a $5,000 bond Friday morning while awaiting a court appearance latter in the day, according to a state police report.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel