BOLIVAR — After a preliminary hearing on Wednesday,a Richburg woman charged with seriously injuring two New York state troopers in a violent confrontation Saturday in Bolivar was ordered held in jail while the case is presented to an Allegany County grand jury.
Julia C. Groff, 31, of Richburg, faces several felony charges including two counts each of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, aggravated assault upon a police officer and menacing a police officer, according to Allegany County District Attorney Ian Jones.
Groff was also charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, also a felony, and second-degree obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, all misdemeanors.
Bolivar Town Judge Raymond Gilliland ruled that sufficient evidence had been presented at the preliminary hearing to hold Groff until the case can be presented to a grand jury. He denied a motion from Public Defender Bronwyn Enders that the case be dismissed.
Jones will have 45 days to present the case to a grand jury. He turned over discoverable evidence to date to the defense team that includes Enders and Public Defender Paul DiCola.
Groff is accused of stabbing Trooper Jacob Klock, a nine-year state police veteran above the left eye and Trooper Michael Rich, an 11-year veteran, on his head near the left ear. During the confrontation, Rich discharged his weapon, but did not hit the suspect.
Both troopers were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. They have both since been discharged.
Two witnesses were called by Jones during Wednesday’s preliminary hearing. Three Allegany County Sheriff’s deputies watched over Groff, whose hands were shackled in front of her during the court proceeding.
Brian Strawser of Route 275, Bolivar, testified that Groff was on his property earlier Saturday asking for the keys to his Jeep. When he offered to help, she declined asd asked for the keys again, he told her to leave.
Moments later, his wife said it appeared the woman had gone next door and taken a neighbor’s truck. Strawser drove his Jeep over to the neighbors where he said he spoke to Groff again, urging her to return the truck before things got worse for her.
When she drove away, Strawser followed her and called 911. A dispatcher, he said, asked him to follow the truck at a safe distance and stay on the open line to the 911 Center. Twice more in the village, Groff stopped the truck and spoke to Strawser before driving into Crosby’s on Main Street and up to the gas pumps.
Strawser said he heard sirens about 3:25 p.m. as he followed her into Crosby’s, parking about 5-6 feet behind the black pickup Groff was driving. Two trooper vehicles quickly moved to block the stolen truck from the front and the rear.
Strawser said the troopers moved quickly to subdue Groff, but they had a difficult time as “She appeared to have the strength of one grown man, possibly two.” Enders objected to that characterization.
As the fight continued, Strawser got out of his Jeep and edged closer. “There was blood everywhere,” he exclaimed. Both trooper were injured, he added. He saw what he called a “buck skinner knife” on the ground in the blood along with a loaded clip from one of the troopers’ automatic weapons.
Enders asked Strawser if he saw the knife in Groff’s hand. He replied no. She continued to resist violently after the troopers were injured, he said.
Strawser said he walked up to the troopers and asked if they needed any help. One trooper yelled yes that they did need help. A large man, Strawser said he tried to get Groff in a headlock, “but she slipped out of my grasp.” Another bystander, a volunteer firefighter, helped push her to the ground where she was finally subdued. “We were all tangled together.”
As more troopers arrived, three or four pulled her from the pile, Strawser said. She refused to be handcuffed behind her back, so they finally put her in a squad car cuffed in front, he testified.
Under questioning from Enders, Strawser when he offered to get help for Groff, “it was quite apparent” she was on something. He said she was “very manic, overly happy.”
Richard Caitlin, the man whose truck was stolen, said he heard his truck start up in his driveway and saw it driving away. “I saw what appeared to be a female (driver),” he told the court. He called 911. The dispatcher said they had another caller on the line following the truck.
After Enders moved to dismiss the charges because the district attorney had not proved the charges against her client, Jones responded by pointing out Strasser had identified Groff as the woman who drove off with Caitlin’s truck — the same truck troopers had pulled the 31-year-old Richburg woman from at Crosby’s. “The people have met our burden,” Jones told the judge.
Enders asked for reasonable bail for Groff, but Jones said the charges she is facing include attempted murder of two police officers. “Those two (troopers) are lucky to be alive,” Jones said. He called Groff “a flight risk.”
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All Rights Reserved. Star News LLC. Eric M. Firkel.
