Freeport man sentenced to 29 years for shooting at police officer

A Freeport man was sentenced to 29 years in prison on Aug. 30 for shooting at a Freeport police officer during a foot chase in February 2018.

David Serrant, 23, was convicted this May of first-degree attempted assault and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Serrant was found not guilty on two charges of first-degree attempted murder of a police office and one count of menacing a police officer. In addition to the nearly 30-year sentence, he is subject to five years of post-release supervision.

On Feb. 25, 2018, at roughly 11:50 p.m., officers from the Freeport Police Department responded to a 911 call that individuals smoking marijuana outside of an apartment building on Pine Street.

As the officers approached, Serrant left the scene and was chased by two officers. Serrant then fired one bullet at the officer, missing him in the process while the officer did not return fire.

A police canine team assisted in finding Serrant several minutes later, in possession of an empty .40 caliber handgun.

“When approached by police officers, this defendant could have easily made the choice to obey their orders," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly stated in a news release. "Instead, he took off running and fired his gun directly at an officer during the chase. Fortunately, no one was injured, and Serrant was apprehended within minutes. We thank the judge for his decision to hold the defendant accountable for his crimes with this significant prison sentence."