Lancaster, Pennsylvania. For assaulting a fire police officer who was directing traffic during a 2023 barn fire in Caernarvon Township with his tractor-trailer, a Pequea Township man was sentenced on Wednesday to 33 to 66 months in state prison.
Following a jury trial, Craig Robert Godfrey, 65, was found guilty in September of misdemeanor reckless endangerment and felony aggravated assault by physical menace. The allegations were related to an incident that occurred on June 3, 2023, where Godfrey, operating an 18-wheeler, repeatedly pushed his truck in the direction of Fire Police Lt. Timothy Cunningham, who was obstructing a closed road close to the fire scene.
The situation escalated to the point that Cunningham had to physically push himself away from the moving truck to prevent being run over, according to the prosecution, after Godfrey disregarded Cunningham’s orders to turn around and tried to push his way through the barricaded road. Godfrey’s dashboard camera filmed part of the altercation.
Travis Anderson, the first assistant district attorney, denounced Godfrey’s behavior, saying that he used his truck as a weapon and put convenience ahead of other people’s safety. First responders should have complete legal protection while carrying out their responsibilities, Anderson continued.
Judge Dennis Reinaker of Lancaster County, who handed down Godfrey’s sentence, chastised him for blaming the victim in court and described his comments as insulting. “We don’t get to override the instructions of someone in [the victim’s] position,” Reinaker said, underscoring the significance of following emergency personnel’s directions.
The sentencing emphasizes the vital safeguards provided to first responders who put their lives in danger to keep the public safe.
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