Man arrested after 3 RPD officers were assaulted at scene of fire

ROCHESTER N.Y. (WHEC) — Police have arrested the man who they say started a fire in his apartment then assaulted three Rochester Police Officers at The Hamilton Apartments on Mt. Hope Ave last month.

The assault happened on March 28 just before 5:30 a.m. and started with a 911 call requesting police and an ambulance. When police knocked on the door of the apartment, the man who answered allegedly began assaulting officers with a blunt object immediately. Police say one officer was hit in the head multiple times with a foot-long piece of wood.

Police say they were eventually able to take the man into custody, but during the struggle, the officers noticed a large amount of smoke coming from the apartment, so they started evacuating nearby apartments and called the fire department.

Vernell Moxley, 47, was discharged from Strong Memorial Hospital Friday and taken into custody for the incident. He is charged with second degree arson, three counts of second degree assault and resisting arrest for allegedly attacking the three officers and setting fire to his apartment, and he is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing for allegedly choking one of the employees at Strong Memorial Hospital.

He is scheduled to be arraigned in Rochester City Court on Saturday.