Delaware Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Officer Assault

State of DE - A Delaware man is headed to prison after assaulting a police officer during a 2022 shoplifting call. Rodney Duffy, 39, will serve 11 years behind bars.

A New Castle County Superior Court judge handed down the sentence on July 24, 2026. Duffy pleaded guilty to Assault in the First Degree and Resisting Arrest with Force.

The case goes back to December 13, 2022. Newark Police were called to the Suburban Drive Acme after staff reported a shoplifting in progress.

When an officer arrived and tried to detain Duffy, he began attacking the officer. He struck the officer's head repeatedly and tried to pull the officer's gun from its holster.

The officer suffered serious injuries in the attack. Those injuries forced him to end his career in law enforcement.

Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings spoke about the case after sentencing. "There is no justification whatsoever for the defendant's brutal, impulsive, and callous actions," Jennings said. "Our thoughts are with the victim, whose injuries forced him to end a yearslong career in law enforcement. I'm grateful to the police and trial team who secured justice for his attacker."