Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 42-year-old Christopher Monaco of Town of Hamburg has been arraigned before Hamburg Town Justice Gerald P. Gorman on two counts of Harassment in the Second Degree, which are violations.

The harassment counts allege that Monaco subjected two Town of Hamburg police officers to physical contact while the officers were performing their lawful duties in response to a domestic disturbance at the defendant’s home on Saturday, May 11, 2019.

The incident occurred on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at approximately 11:30 p.m. when police officers responded to the defendant’s home on Bender Court after receiving a 911 hang up call. Upon their arrival, the defendant, who was a captain with the Town of Hamburg Police Department at the time of the incident, is accused of attempting to prevent the officers from conducting their investigation by ordering the victim, his wife, to not provide a statement.

The defendant was arraigned before Justice Gorman on one count of Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree, a Class “A” misdemeanor, on Wednesday, May 15, 2019.

Monaco is scheduled to return on Thursday, September 5, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. for a motion argument. The prosecution requested both no-contact and non-offensive contact orders of protection on behalf of the victim, both of which the judge denied.

Monaco remains released on his own recognizance. If convicted on the charges, he faces a maximum possible sentence of 1 year in jail.

The case is being prosecuted by Holly P. Tucker, Chief of the DA’s Domestic Violence Bureau.

As are all persons accused of a crime, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.