A man from Niagara County has been sentenced to four years in prison for setting a patrol vehicle on fire in 2023, as announced by the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office on Friday.
Schuyler Johnson, 53, of Sanborn, pleaded guilty to menacing a police officer. According to authorities, Johnson was involved in a car accident on Mapleton Road in Wheatfield on December 23rd, 2023, which caused his vehicle to overturn. When sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene, he allegedly set one of their patrol cars on fire and threatened a deputy with a knife. Officials reported that Johnson's reckless speeding was the cause of the crash.
Following his prison term, Johnson will be subject to three years of post-release supervision. Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman released a press release on the sentence, which was delivered by County Court Judge Caroline A. Wojtaszek. Johnson had pleaded guilty to the charge on November 27th, 2024.
Seaman remarked, “On December 23, 2023, the defendant was driving at an excessive speed leading to a crash in which his vehicle overturned. When Sheriff’s Deputies responded he intentionally set fire to one of their patrol vehicles and threatened a Deputy with a knife. This defendant’s outrageous conduct endangered not only the two deputies, but the entire community. The judges sentence not only ensures public safety but sends a clear message to the community.”
No further information is available at this time.
Niagara County Man Sentenced for Arson of Deputy's Patrol Car