Protecting and Serving the Commonwealth Since 1905

THE COMMUNICATOR

PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE

Tom Corbett, Governor

VOLUME LI

Col. Frank Noonan, Commissioner

AUGUST 2014

NUMBER 8

RADAR FOR LOCALS

n June, Commissioner Frank

Noonan and several others
testified before the Senate
Transportation Committee, calling
for Pennsylvania to become the
final state to enact legislation that
would allow municipal police
officers to use radar for speed
enforcement.
Two-thirds of Pennsylvania's
615 speed-related deaths that
occurred in 2012, the latest year
statistics are available, occurred
on local roadways, said Thomas
King, President of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of
Police Association. The national average of
speed-related deaths in 2012 was 305.
Pennsylvania's
annual
speed-related
deaths are more than double the national
average. In 2011, 87 percent of Pennsylvania's
1,286 speed-related fatalities happened on
local roads.
The Chairman of the Senate Transportation
Committee, John Rafferty, R-Montgomery
County, stated the issue had been brought up
in the General Assembly for years, but has
failed to pass because of concerns by some
constituents that local governments will
misuse their radar guns to increase traffic
stops, thereby increasing revenue.
Noonan disagreed.
"Understand one
thing," he said, "Giving the municipal police
officers radar will save lives. There's just no
question about it." Addressing the fears of
abuse for revenue, Noonan stated, "If we found
some municipality was abusing this privilege,
I don't think it would be very difficult for us to
go back and remedy that very quickly."

In agreement, Senator Randy Vulakovich,

R-Allegheny County, also a former police
officer, said, "Forty-nine states can do this and
trust their policemen to do it. Pennsylvania
cannot. It's insulting and somewhat silly
policemen should have the tools that they
need."
Towns receive a very small portion of
the proceeds from tickets - only $17.50 for
speeding where the limit is under 65 mph.
Furthermore, local communities can write
tickets to increase revenue using their current
tools, and they do not.
Currently, local departments use less
efficient systems to enforce speed, such as
VASCAR (Visual Average Speed Computer
And Recorder), which was pointed out to the
Committee as inefficient, because it requires
at least two officers to operate. This practice
is time-consuming for manpower-starved
departments.
Many municipalities have voiced support
for the legislation authorizing local radar,
including Allegheny County and Pittsburgh.
- continued on page 2

COMMISSIONERS COLUMN

s you may
very well
know, at a press
conference
on
June 23, 2014,
Attorney General
Kathleen Kane
released
her
long-awaited
report on the
handling of the
Jerry Sandusky investigation. She
introduced the report, along with an
explanation of her decision, to look
at the actions of the investigators and
Governor Tom Corbett.

The prosecutor appointed by

Attorney General Kane to review the
investigation, H. Geoffrey Moulton,
spoke at length about his process
during the press conference. The report
explained that Mr. Moulton found no
direct evidence that electoral politics
influenced any important decision
made in the investigation. But the
report also found shortcomings in
the investigation of Sandusky who
was arrested November 5, 2011, and
convicted June 22, 2012.

RADAR

- continued from cover page

Rafferty has, however, drafted a bill

- Senate Bill 1428 - before the General
Assembly that would finally allow local
police departments to use radar. The
bill allows full-time police officers at
24-hour police departments to use radar
after completing training. Furthermore,
all local police would be required to
report any revenue generated through
radar citations to the PSP.
This is not going to be an easy
subject of a bill to get through this
General Assembly, Rafferty said.
When I announced that we were going
to have a hearing for local police radar,
some members of our caucus threw up
their hands, and they're not alone.

Page 2

There are many aspects of Mr.

Moultons report that I take exception
to, such as its approach, timing, and
many of its conclusions regarding the
conduct of the investigation. However,
it must be pointed out that the vast
majority of the reports findings
actually refute the claims that led to it
being conducted in the first place: no
direct evidence of political influence,
powers of the Grand Jury certainly
proved valuable, and the suggestion
that the investigation was adequately
resourced.

It is true that the report questioned

some of the decisions made during
this investigation. Nevertheless, it is
important to remember that we are
all working for the victims and the
administration of justice. There were
innumerable tactical and technical
decisions made throughout this
investigation by able, experienced, and
dedicated prosecutors and investigators.
They were tasked with putting together
an incredibly complex case against a
nationally known icon.

There are several other bills before

the General Assembly allowing local
radar use as well.
The PSP has been using radar
technology since 1961. Like the State
Police, municipal and regional police
departments are challenged to provide
safety measures to their communities
in the most efficient manner. For all
of us, the use of commonly accepted
technology and equipment is critical
to this mission. Colonel Noonan
greatly appreciates and admires our
partners in the police community in
this Commonwealth, and believes it is
time to authorize these very basic tools
to advance the overall goal of making
Pennsylvanias roads the safest in the
nation.

Those who now criticize this

investigation, on the other hand, have
had the luxury of 16 months to review
those investigative decisions, with the
written record before them, through
the lens of hindsight. When looking
at a completed Rubiks Cube, the
task seems easy enough; but anyone
who has actually tried to line up those
squares can attest to the difficulty.
Nonetheless, in any debate regarding
the proper conduct of the investigation,
the investigators have a distinct
and powerful advantage over those
who now seek to second guess their
decisions because of their work, Jerry
Sandusky will most likely spend the
rest of his life in prison.
I want to thank all the men and
women who worked extremely hard to
support and fight for Jerry Sanduskys
victims, especially those Troopers who
are involved in this investigation.
Col. Frank Noonan

It is not the critic who counts; not the

man who points out how the strong
man stumbles, or where the doer of
deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is
actually in the arena, whose face is
marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly; who errs, who
comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error
and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows
great enthusiasms, the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end the
triumph of high achievement, and who
at the worst, if he fails, at least fails
while daring greatly, so that his place
shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor
defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

PA State Police

CHIEF COUNSELS COLUMN

By Nathaniel X. Rivera, OGC Extern

In the case of
Riley v. California,
No. 13-132 (U.S.
Jun. 25, 2014), the
Supreme Court of
the United States
has recently issued
a ruling on the
long controversial
topic of cell phone
searches without a warrant, usually
incident to a lawful arrest or inventory
search. In its holding, the Court found
that the Fourth Amendment requires
a warrant to be obtained in order to
search an arrested individuals cell
phone for information, barring exigent
circumstances.
The ruling stems
from two separate scenarios in which
police seized cell phones possessed
by the arrested and searched them
without a warrant, obtaining valuable
investigative information in the process.
In the first scenario, David Riley
was stopped for driving with expired
registration tags. During the course
of the stop, the officer learned that
Rileys license was also suspended, and
as such he proceeded to impound the
car. When an inventory search of the
car was conducted, officers found two
concealed and loaded firearms under
the hood of the vehicle and proceeded
to arrest Riley. Incident to his arrest,
officers searched Rileys smart phone
and found information pertaining to a
gang association, including a photo of
Riley standing in front of a car that was
possibly involved in a shooting. Riley
was subsequently charged in connection
to the shooting, with the aggravating
factor of being in a criminal street gang.
In the second scenario, a police
officer observed Brima Wurie make
an apparent drug sale. He was then
arrested and police seized two phones,
searching only one of them. The
searched phone in this instance was

PA State Police

a flip phone, more low-tech than a

smart phone, with fewer features. While
Wurie was under arrest, the flip phone
began receiving calls from a number
labeled my house. Officers accessed
his call log in order to determine the
calling number and traced the address.
After arriving at the address, officers
identified it as Wuries home and
obtained a search warrant and seized
215 grams of crack cocaine, a firearm,
and other contraband.

The Court held that in order to

search a cell phone, even pursuant
to a lawful arrest, law enforcement
generally must obtain a warrant. Under
prior rulings, a search conducted
pursuant to a lawful arrest may
trigger an exception to the traditional
warrant requirement. Generally, these
exceptions are limited to the area
within an arrestees immediate control
or on his person, or in the case of a
vehicle, when the arrestee is unsecured
and within reaching distance of the
passenger compartment at the time of
the search. The Court found that digital
data does not present any threat to an
officer and is not subject to any of the
above warrant requirement exceptions.
The Court next dismissed fears of
any potential destruction of evidence
that would occur during the time the
warrant was being obtained. The
seizure of phones when permitted by
a warrant would prevent the arrestee
from deleting any data. It believed
that even when a third party is capable
of remotely wiping the data and/or
when encryption is present, police
departments have methods to prevent
remote wiping and access encrypted
data. As such, the potential destruction
of data will not trigger a warrant
exception.
In sum, the Court held that in
balancing the government interest
against the intrusion upon privacy,

the search is not reasonable and must

generally require a warrant. The Court
recognized that cell phones contain vast
amounts of data, and to sift through that
data is a large intrusion. Cell phones
are so directly integrated into everyday
life that a search of a cell phone is far
more invasive then simply looking
through someones pockets.
The
Court also recognized that cell phones
provide access to information that
is technically not even stored on the
phone, such as cloud computing. The
Court did, however, address the issue of
exigent circumstances, and recognized
that under certain conditions a search
may still be permissible.
This holding bears significant
relevance upon the law enforcement
community to avoid suppression
and other related issues. In order to
conform to this ruling, officers should
make sure to obtain a search warrant
prior to any access of a phone unless
appropriate exigent circumstances
are present.
In order to prevent
destruction of evidence remotely, best
practices may include consulting with
personnel trained in computer crime
issues as well as turning the phone
off or on airplane mode, placing the
phone in an arson can or faraday bag,
or as a last resort, remove the battery.
Each of these options will prevent the
phone from connecting to the network.
Officers should not guess the passcodes
of seized phones, as excessive guesses
could eventually lead the phone to wipe
its data. It is recommended to also
consult with the District Attorneys
Office on these issues.

Upcoming Blood Drive

Open to active and retired personnel

August 28th
12:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Department Headquarters
1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg

Page 3

By Tpr. (Ret.) Jack Haase

RETIREES SCOOPS

Association News:
Joining
the Retired State Police Association
of Pennsylvania were:
Marcia I.
Barnhart, Hughesville; Jeffrey J.
Brautigam, Gibsonia; Glenn C. Drake
II, Shinglehouse; Stuart Frome,
Hedgesville, WV; Joseph E. Kugler,
Scott Township; Jeffrey S. Lee,
Sykesville; Michael P. Mider, Denver;
Steven G. Miller, Landisville; Roger
L. Sheffield, Waterfall; and David J.
Zigler, Centre Hall.
Birthdays: John H. Angell, 86;
William E. Balchunas, 95; Edward
Bandyk, 90; Milton W. Brown, 90;
Bernard A. Buhosky, 84; Francis X.
Carroll, 82; Matthew Chabal Jr., 87;
Albert L. DiGiuseppe, 86; Edwin J.
Gorgacz, 81; Lamar G. Green, 85; Curtis
W. Guyette, 85; Stephen M. Haschak,
86; Robert E. Isbitski, 80; Bert C.
Korieth, 92; Stanley R. Krammes, 86;
Theodore Lazar, 91; Richard T. Long,
80; James L. McCann, 85; William E.
Miller, 85; Henry S. Miller, 85; Leo
P. Moran, 93; James E. Murrman, 86;
Ted M. Nagle, 90; Edward S. Pasi, 86;
George E. Plafcan, 81; Harry Alexander
Renton, 85; Gerald D. Roberts, 80;
William A. Schneider, 82; Ruth M.
Sheaffer,93; Paul J. Sita, 81; Joseph P.
Skapik, 88; Charlotte M. Walters, 81;
John R. Whitehorse, 80; and Robert J.
Zinsky, 81.
Retiree Sightings: On May 8,
2014, 17 members of the Daytona
Beach area PSP retirees group held
their monthly gathering. This is the
second time they held a Memorial Day
Service to remember, talk about, and
honor those members who have died
in the line of duty. Jim Demarco said
this is an emotional experience. Those
in attendance were: Fred Blank, Harry
Anderson, Bill Kute, Jerry Wargo, Tom
Zienlinski, Dan Sadley, John Katrinich,
Steve Lengyel, Bob Luniewski, Joe

Page 4

Retired
Colonels
Glen A. Walp and
Jeffrey B. Miller
met for dinner in
Phoenix, AZ, as Col.
Miller was in town
to plan for the next
Super Bowl. Both
commented on what
a good time they had
catching up on old
and new times. They
had not seen each
other in 19 years.

Kearney, Larry Karns, Ray Mitchell,

Dick Johnson, Bob Haught, Kevin
Graham, Jim Amos, and Jim Demarco.
Ray Mitchell brought along a quilt
made by his sister, Sharon Stout, of
Williamsport. She incorporated part of
Rays old uniforms to create a beautiful
piece of art.
Our thoughts and prayers are with
the following and their family and
friends:
Sick Call: Retired AA2 Betty
Garman, 76, suffered a stroke this past
May. She was hospitalized, but has
since been released and is home. Betty
said the road to recovery is slow, but
she feels good. She wants to thank
everybody for their concerns. She said
this will be the second time her name
has appeared in PSP news; the first time
was in 1938 when her childs birth was
announced in the Bulletin, then the
departmental newspaper. Betty served
from 1970 to 2001 and was assigned to
the Records and Identification Section.
Best wishes may be sent to 2716 Banks
Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103.
Retired CT2 Donna Straining, 72,
has had great difficulty in recovering
from a knee replacement surgery. She
has been in and out of hospitals and

rehab extensively. She has developed

an infection in her knee and another
surgery is scheduled. There is no
current, permanent address for Donna,
so for now keep her in your thoughts
and prayers. We will provide her
address when it becomes available.
Donna served from 1968 to 1997.
Joann Cooper is keeping us updated on
her condition.
Deaths: Retired AA1 Joan K.
Albert, 75, of Steelton, died June 18,
2014. She served from 1980 to 1999
at MPOETC.
Retired PCO Dorothy I. Brink,
87, of Trout Run, passed away June
14, 2014. She served from 1967 to
1989 and was assigned to Troop F,
Montoursville.
Retired PCO Dorothy J. Dottie
Dolan, 91, of Corry, died June 1, 2014.
She served from 1978 to 1990 and was
assigned to Troop E, Corry.
Sgt. (Ret.) Robert J. Glosson, 72,
of Warrington, passed away June 18,
2014. He served from 1968 to 1996
and was posted to Troop M, as the
OIC of the Trevose Barracks. Bob was
a man who was called to serve; first
with the U.S. Air Force; then two years

PA State Police

RETIREES SCOOPS

as a Patrolman with Upper Dublin

Township; followed by his career
with the PSP. He also served with
the Pennsylvania Air National Guard,
from 1974 to 1993 and retired holding
the rank of Lt. Colonel. Following
his retirement, he continued to serve
as the Chief of Police in Bedminster
Township.
Lt. (Ret.) Robert D. Harris, 91, of
Indian Trail, North Carolina, passed
away June 14, 2014. He served from
1946 to 1974, posted to Troop C,
Clearfield. Robert was a veteran of
WWII.

Sgt. (Ret.) James D. King, 85,

of Mechanicsburg, died June 26,
2014. He served from 1949 to 1982.
The first ten years of Jims career
was spent working patrol, criminal
investigation, and at the Academy.
In 1959, he was posted to the State
Police Crime Laboratory in Harrisburg
where he commenced a full-time
training program in the Examination
of Questioned Documents. Following
this training, Jim was directed by the
Commissioner to develop a Document
Examination Section within the Crime
Lab. Jim became recognized for his
expertise in document examination.
He extensively trained, lectured, and
wrote and presented papers to various
professional groups and agencies that
were associated with this type of work.
Following retirement, he established
a successful private practice within
the specialized field of document
examination. Early in his career, he was
a member of the Rodeo Team and was
the music director during the teams
shows. He was a veteran of the U.S.
Army and served with the occupation
forces in Japan, following WWII. He
was much involved in community
service and played in local bands. His
obituary stated, Jim lived his life with
fidelity and integrity

PA State Police

Major (Ret.)
Homer Redd, 89,
passed away on
July 20, 2014. He
had
developed
breathing difficulty
this past June and
was admitted to
the ICU in Latrobe
Hospital. Homer
was known as
The Legend to
many,
including
to his good friend
Cpl. (Ret.) Bob
Mertz (Association
President). Major
Cpl. (Ret.) Jim Olczak was spotted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at
Redd enlisted in
the International Hot Air Balloon Festival where he spent time with
1946 and retired two New Mexico State Troopers. Photo provided by Jim Olczak.
as the Area III
Commander, Troop A, Greensburg, on father, Michael, 90, who passed away
June 29, 1983.
June 15, 2015.

Former Tpr. Richard M. Sopchak,

71, of Scranton, died May 30, 2014. He
was a member of the 20th cadet class.
He left the Department at an unknown
time. We list Richard in the event
any member would be interested in
knowing of his passing.

Odds and Ends: We thank the

following contributors to this months
column:
Dan and Lucy Fiscus,
Robert Cessna, Beth Wilson, Gregory
Langston, Buck Gilpin, Joann Cooper,
Jim Amos, Glen Walp, and Jeffrey
Miller.

We extend our heartfelt sympathy

and offer of support to Cpl. (Ret.)
Robert F. Halecky on the loss of his

If you have news items, or retiree

information, contact me at PSP1207@
ptd.net; (570) 724-6243; or 146 Mt.
Zion Road Ext., Wellsboro, PA 16901.

The
Daytona
Beach area PSP
retirees group
proudly display
the quilt made
by Sharon Stout.
See item in Retirees Sightings.
Photo provided
by Major (Ret.)
James Amos.

Page 5

RANKING OFFICER PROMOTIONS

Colonel Noonan promoted five

members to the rank of Sergeant
and 45 members to Corporal during
a ceremony at the State Police
Academy on June 20, 2014.

The newly-promoted Sergeants

and their assignments are: BIPS
- Steven L. Masteller; Troop B Scott A. Bauer (Uniontown) and
Richard O. Quinn (Washington);
Troop C - Michael T. Carroll
(Punxsutawney); and Troop D Jamie D. Clark (New Castle).
The new Corporals, listed by
assignment, are: BCI Michael I.
Fegley, Scott A. Leidigh, and Robert
J. Levan; BCIS Jeffrey E. Dunkel;
BESO - Michael C. Taylor; BFS Darren L. Mortorf; T&E Michael
W. Burns, Charles D. Fino, Sandra
M. Soliday, and John M. Stover II;
Troop A - Michael D. Miller and Newly-promoted Sergeants with Colonel Frank Noonan and Lt. Colonel Scott Snyder.
Jason E. Wagner (Greensburg); and
Jason P. Michaels and Michael S.
Noel (Somerset); Troop B - James
A. Bablak, Scott L. Kemling, and
David A. Vanderaar (Uniontown),
and Isaac N. Lanham IV (Belle
Vernon); Troop C Dale E.
Gillette and James P. Puskar
(DuBois); Troop F - Nicholas A.
Cortes (Montoursville), Mark Dean
(Coudersport), Robert J. Hadley
(Lamar), Mark D. Hoban and John
A. McGeary (Milton), and Charles
J.
Molecavage
(Stonington);
Troop H - Ellis E. Barnett, Ralph
R. Maiolino, Jr., and Aaron B.
Martin (Carlisle), Frederick J.
Chadwick, III (Chambersburg),
Eric R. Campbell (Gettysburg),
and Brian R. Hoy (Newport);
Troop J - Ronald W. Herman, Jr.
(Lancaster), and Edward P. Ryan
III (Embreeville); Troop K - Paul
J. Carr, Jr. (Philadelphia), Ryan Newly-promoted Corporals with Colonel Frank Noonan and Lt. Colonel Scott Snyder.
P. Burza (Media), and Arthur L.
Johnson, Jr., and Brian C. Roberts (Skippack); and Troop M John T. Curtis and Kevin E. Kulesa (Bethlehem), Albert J.
Calzola (Dublin), Jonathan E. Eckhart and Michael B. Jezercak (Fogelsville), and Patrick J. Corby (Trevose).

Page 6

PA State Police

MILEPOSTS
SERVICE AWARDS
35 Years
Maureen A. Hoyt

5 Years
Rakesh R. Gajera
Michael J. Magera
Susan A. Newcomer

30 Years
Melissa S. Onavage

NEW CIVILIANS

25 Years
LEO Robert M. Bandy
LEO3 Steven B. Brison
Tpr. Rodney J. Capouillez
Tpr. Michael J. Kowalick
LEO3 John E. Mathias
LEO3 Mary E. Mills
MCEO Ronnie L. Reedy
LEO Bradley W. Trusal
LEO3 Sam Yurich
20 Years
PCO Sandra R. Ammerman
Helen M. Fuhrman
15 Years
Tpr. Chad M. Albert
PCO Kimberly A. Amsdell
Tpr. Douglas E. Artman
Joette L. Burkholder-Lucas
PCO Kelsey L. Espenshade
PCO Scott H. Hyde
Sarah L. Kinneer
Melissa Morgan Lenahan
PCO Bruce A. Mulhern
Amy A. Paladino
10 Years
Brandy L. Bevan
Terri L. Buonpane
Jody L. Logan
Douglas P. Loomis
PCO Amy J. Owens
Daksha N. Parikh
Amy C. Santelli-Ramp
PCO Bree A. Whitsel

PA State Police

LA2 Sheena N. Apostolopoulos, R&I

LA2 Tanya D. Bowen, R&I
CT2 Moriah M. DAmico, R&I
ChemTech Dorothy J. DAurora, BFS
C2 Unique S. Davis, BCIS
HRA2 Randall P. Flood, PSO
ChemTech Michelle M. Frank, BFS
ChemTech Jayne E. Hogue, BFS
PCO Melissa A. Hoover, R, Honesdale
AA1 Billie J. Kauffman, R&D
PCO George M. Mattos, N, Swiftwater
CT2 Heather E. McCarty, R&I
C2 Tracy McDermott, R&I
NA1 Christopher M. McManuels, BIT
AD1 Sanjay K. Patel, BIT
PCO Robert F. Peebles, Jr., L, Jonestown
PCO Samantha R. Shoop, E, Erie
CT2 Jessica N. Smith, BGE

Tpr. Brian J. Genesi

07/25/1994 05/09/2014
Tpr. Mark E. Glista
11/27/1989 05/23/2014
Kathy A. Hall
06/22/1987 05/23/2014
Capt. Steven R. Junkin
12/12/1988 05/09/2014
Tpr. John L. McArthur
10/05/1992 05/09/2014
Cpl. Todd M. Myers
03/15/1993 05/09/2014
Tpr. Raymond M. Pecuch, Jr.
01/03/1994 05/23/2014
Cpl. Mark A. Schmelzlen
07/25/1994 05/09/2014
Tpr. Dustin S. Sosak
07/25/1994 05/23/2014
Tpr. Michael J. Sweeney
07/25/1994 05/09/2014
Cpl. Thomas G. Tarsavage
05/14/1990 05/09/2014
Cpl. Richard N. Townsend, Jr.
02/03/1986 05/30/2014
Tpr. Derek C. Unrue
09/27/1993 05/09/2014
Cynthia D. Warren
01/28/2008 05/14/2014

PROMOTIONS

ITGA1 James C. Dressler, BIT

FTS Colligan P. Huynh, R&I
SA3 Bradford R. Schmittle, R&D
MCEO Benjamin F. Shields, III, BOP
SA2 Toni Yorks, R&D

The Communicator
Published monthly for
active and retired personnel.
Items for publication and
address changes may be sent to:

RETIREMENTS

Tpr. Eric F. Ager

05/17/1993 05/09/2014
Tpr. Charles W. Chaney III
01/22/1990 05/09/2014
Bambi L. Deimler
11/07/1977 05/23/2014
Tpr. Glenn C. Drake II
01/03/1994 05/21/2014

Diana M. Bates, Editor

Pennsylvania State Police
1800 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17110
ra-PSPCommunicator@pa.gov

Page 7

HEADQUARTERS
BESO

SERT:

CANINE:

Tpr. Kana Moy competed in three

Brazilian Ju-Jitsu competitions within
one month, taking first in the NAGA
Pittsburgh Open, second in the IBJJF
Vegas Open, and third in the IBJJF
Boston Open.

Tpr. Chad Labour and K9 Dano

assisted Tpr. Gregory Pappas (Troop
M, Belfast) during a traffic stop on I-78.
Labour deployed Dano in a search
of the exterior of the vehicle after the
operator denied a consent search. Dano
alerted and $75,000 was found in the
trunk of the car.
Tpr. Jon Mearkle and K9 Zigi
assisted CIU members and postal
inspectors during a parcel interdiction
detail. Mearkle deployed Zigi in a
search of a parcel, and a search warrant
was obtained when Zigi alerted. The
package contained 549 grams of
cocaine within sealed cans of powdered
milk.
HDES:
When an Adams County woman
suspected her husband was making
homemade explosives in their
basement, members and FBI Agents
were requested to respond to the
residence to assist local police with
a search warrant. Explosive mixture
precursors and components were found.
The man admitted that he was trying to
make homemade C4 explosives and
detonators. He also claimed that he
was going to be a member of the next
PSP Cadet class.
Cpl. Jonathan Cook and Tprs.
Nathaniel Drayer and Jason Scholl
completed an advanced improvised
explosive device electronics course.
The 40-hour course was hosted by
the Philadelphia PD Bomb Squad and
presented by A-T Solutions, which
provides training for the Departments
of Defense, Justice, and Homeland
Security, as well as state and local law
enforcement.

Page 8

BFS

Attorney General, members arrested a

roulette dealer for cheating. The dealer
provided patrons a set of numbers to
bet on and then would aim for those
numbers to win. In return, the dealer
received a tip from the winnings.
MOHEGAN SUN:
Tpr. Jeffrey Yagiello responded
when a patron struck his girlfriend in
the face and then fought with security
officers. The man resisted arrest, but
was quickly subdued and lodged in the
county jail.
MOUNT AIRY:
Tpr. Victor Ortalano
retired with 21 years
of service.

The Howard Murray Award was given

to Ashlee Mangan and Sarah Kinneer
(Greensburg Regional Laboratory) and
Angelina Biondi (Forensic DNA Division)
by the Beaver County District Attorney for
their efforts in the 1979 Catherine Janet
Walsh homicide case. Evidence from this
case, which was first submitted to the lab in
1979, was resubmitted in 2010. Their work
and analyses led to significant findings used
to convict Gregory Scott Hopkins this past
November.

Wyoming Ballistics Cpl. Joseph

Gober sent cartridge cases from
an attempted homicide case to the
Bethlehem Lab for entry into NIBIN.
The cartridge cases matched those in
an aggravated assault in New Jersey
three years prior. Gober met with New
Jersey Examiners and determined the
discharged cases from both incidents
were from the same firearm.

BGE
MEADOWS:
In conjunction with the Office of

PENN NATIONAL:
A man called Troop H and said that
he was intoxicated and wanted to be
arrested. Tpr. Daniel Clemente found
him highly intoxicated and causing a
disturbance near the casino. The man
was obliged and jailed.
THE RIVERS:
While searching an unattended
purse for identification, security officers
discovered crack cocaine. Tpr. Robert
Holman took possession of the drug
and was able to locate the owner with
the assistance of surveillance footage.
A search of her person revealed another
bag of crack (total combined weight of
49 grams), a gram of marijuana, and
five stamp bags of heroin.

PA State Police

SANDS:

Did the Department operate marked 1959 and/or 1960 Chevrolets for Patrol?

Tpr. Robert Grossi was alerted by

a security officer that a patron was in
possession of a counterfeit drivers
license. The man handed over the fake
ID in question, along with eight others.
He also had a warrant for access device
fraud.

BOP

Lt. Raymond Cook and Motor Enforcement

Manager Douglas Kemp took possession of
a commercial motor vehicle seized by Troop
N. The 2001 Freightliner and semi-trailer
will be used as an instructional aid during
MCSAP trainings and for outreach initiatives with the trucking industry.

If the Department had marked 1959 Chevrolet Biscaynes, they would have looked very
similar to this drawing. It is also possible that they could have been two-door or had a Bel
Air trim instead of the Biscayne trim, if they existed.
A Pennsylvania State Police Patrol Car Project is underway to document and collect images
associated with the marked patrol units used since 1937. Responses can be directed to Marc
J. Infantino, Director, Bureau of Staff Services, Pennsylvania State Police, 1800 Elmerton
Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110 or by email to minfantino@pa.gov.
Personal images of patrol units taken by members are sometimes the only visual images that
exist of certain models used as marked patrol cars. If you are able to share your images,
photocopies or email scans are the safest way to provide the image to determine if they fill a
missing piece of the puzzle. If they do, arrangements can be made to get a professional copy
made for historical preservation. Your help is most appreciated.

BSS

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Division

coordinated a multi-agency motor coach
safety detail at Hersheypark on May 29-30,
2014. In total, 32 motor carrier enforcement personnel from Troops J, M, and N, as
well as from the Pennsylvania Public Utility
Commission, and the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Police Departments participated. A
total of 125 motor coach inspections were
conducted during the two-day detail, resulting in 16 vehicles and nine drivers being placed out of service for serious violations. Almost half of all the motor coaches
inspected had at least one safety violation.

PA State Police

LCE
Philadelphia
LEOs
seized
suspected marijuana that was packaged
for resale and nearly $1,300 at a bar
in northern Philadelphia and cited the
owner for sales after hours, failure to
vacate, patrons possessing alcohol on
premises after 2:30 a.m., and possessing
controlled substances on the premises.

Royalton Police Officer Tyler Zehring, son

of Amy Paladino, poses with the boroughs
newest police vehicle. Officer Zehrings vision of a bicycle patrol was fulfilled through
a set of wheels donated by the Latimore
Township PD in Adams County.

In western Philadelphia, LEOs

and local vice officers raided an
establishment, arrested the bartender
for liquor law violations, recovered a
stolen, loaded semi-automatic 9-mm
pistol, and seized beer, liquor, and $370.

Page 9

LEOs from Harrisburg conducted

Age Compliance Program details at the
three liquor-licensed baseball stadiums
within the nine counties covered by the
District Office. All stadiums failed the
check when their vendors sold beer to
the underage intern. Administrative
charges are pending against the liquor
licensees of the three stadiums.
Williamsport LEO Jannell College
completed a five-month investigation
into a private club in Lycoming County,
which resulted in the arrest of the clubs
treasurer for felony theft by unlawful
taking and credit card fraud. The actor
embezzled nearly $300,000 over an
eight-year period.
Allentown LEOs, assisted by
Philadelphia LEO David Daza
and Reading Police, investigated a
speakeasy and confiscated over 24
gallons of beer, one liter of liquor, and
more than $150.

The
Ceremonial
Unit presented the
colors at a home
Philadelphia Phillies game on June
12, 2014. The photo
was taken by the
Phillies photographer, Heddy Bergsman. From the left
are Tprs. Anthony
Petroski,
Mark
Prushinski, Michael
Schultz, and Ethan
Brownback.

TROOPS
TROOP A
GREENSBURG:

T&E

Tpr. John Sherid stopped a

commercial vehicle that crossed a
bridge with a posted weight limit of
20,000 pounds.
Unfortunately for
the driver, the vehicle weighed over
188,300 pounds and cost him nearly
$56,000 in fines.
EBENSBURG:

Cpl. David Fedorshak (left) led members of

the Ceremonial Unit in the posting of the
colors for the National Anthem during the
Big 33 football game at the Hersheypark
Stadium. Shown with Cpl. Fedorshak are
Jordan Hill from Steelton (defensive tackle
for the Seattle Seahawks and 2013-14 NFL
Super Bowl Champion) and, from the left,
Tpr. Joshua Hulstine and Cpls. Jeffrey
Martin and Gerald Hocker (assisted with
field security). The Big 33 game, which
consists of the top 33 high school players
from Pennsylvania and the top 33 players from Maryland, was held on June 14th.
Maryland won in double overtime (31-24).

Page 10

Tpr. Chad Cope was awarded as the 2013

State Police Officer of the Year by the MidAtlantic District Exchange Club. Pictured
are George Hubbard (Chairman), Tpr.
Cope, and Major George Kuzilla.

Tpr. Sally Lander and Retired Lt. John Dell

carried the torch for several legs of the Special Olympics 2014 Torch Run.

Sgt. Joseph Loughran and Tprs.

Chad Albert, Samuel Ferguson, Frank
Lasinsky, Daniel Sweeney, Scott Urban,
and Thomas Williams, ran multiple legs
of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for
the Special Olympics. They covered
over 13 miles on Route 22 through
Indiana and Cambria Counties.
Members assumed two shooting
investigations.
A man committed
suicide and was found by his father, and
a juvenile was dropped off at a hospital
with multiple wounds to his face, chest,
and leg from a pellet gun. He was later
flown to the Childrens Hospital of
Pittsburgh due to his injuries. The boy
said he was playing a game with two
friends in which they would shoot each
other with a pellet gun. After initially
refusing to identify his buddies, the
suspects were identified and charged
with aggravated assault.

PA State Police

Following several months of rehabilitation in Atlanta, Tpr. Brad Wilson made his way across the tarmac at the Dubois Regional Airport with
his family and friends. WELCOME HOME BRAD!!!

When a woman learned that her

husband failed to report to rehab and
was out buying drugs, she began to
gather his belongings to throw him
out. After discovering paraphernalia
and several empty heroin packets, Tpr.
Michael Downes was dispatched to the
residence. In the meantime, Tpr. Robert
Duffy stopped a vehicle for speeding
and discovered the driver was the
man in question. He was DUI/heroin,
a passenger was in possession of 45
packets of heroin, marijuana, Xanax,
and paraphernalia, and the registered
owner of the vehicle was in possession
of paraphernalia.
KISKI VALLEY:
After a vehicle became disabled
and the driver was arrested for DUI/
alcohol and heroin, the actual owner
of the vehicle reported it stolen. The
owner was transported to the vehicle
and was caught removing a crack pipe
from the visor.
SOMERSET:
Members investigated numerous
thefts and burglaries that occurred
over a two-week period. The suspect
targeted the elderly and Amish by going
door to door to solicit his services for
home repairs. Numerous charges were
filed against the man who now resides
in the Somerset County Jail.

PA State Police

TROOP B

WAYNESBURG:

BELLE VERNON:

Tpr. Joseph Popielarcheck was

dispatched to Walmart where two
people were yelling obscenities at
female patrons. He found a vehicle
occupied by five people, with two
rear passengers pointing pistols out
the window. Tprs. Forrest Allison
and James Orbash arrived to assist in
the felony stop. Several of them were
fugitives, and two Beretta-style BB
guns and brass knuckles were located.

Tpr.
Christopher
Newman
responded for a suspicious person at a
methadone clinic and found the suspect
in possession of 137 stamp bags of
heroin.
UNIONTOWN:
Tpr. Albert Miles was pumping gas
when a woman, who appeared to be
intoxicated, pulled into the parking lot.
After she was questioned and taken into
custody, local police issued a BOLO for
the stolen vehicle she was driving.

TROOP C

WASHINGTON:
While investigating a residential
burglary, members went door to door
and interviewed a neighbor who agreed
to a consent search of the home. Several
stamp bags of heroin and paraphernalia
were found, along with the victims
military grave markers that were hidden
under a shed.
Members conducted a DUI
checkpoint during the midnight shift
and made eight DUI arrests and one
underage drinking arrest. Thirty-eight
traffic citations and 50 written warnings
were issued.

During Tpr. Brad Wilsons final days at

the rehabilitation center in Atlanta, he was
visited by (from the left) Capt. Bernard
Petrovsky and Tprs. Mark Schrecengost
and David Kunz.

PUNXSUTAWNEY:
TAM Ruth Defelice was named the
Punxsutawney Career Womens Club
2013-14 Woman of the Year.

Page 11

CLARION:

BUTLER:

A man believed his gun was stolen

and drove to the suspects residence
to retrieve it. Shortly after his arrival,
he detonated a homemade explosive
device and accidentally damaged his
own vehicle. The occupants of the
residence detained the man after an
altercation, and Tprs. M. Gregory
Beighey and James Jenkins responded.
The Pittsburgh Police Bomb Squad
retrieved and detonated the device in a
nearby field. The man was arrested and
treated for the injuries he sustained in
the altercation.

After a man was shot in the face

during a bonfire, Tpr. Gesuele Burello
led the investigation and identified
the suspect who had fled the party.
Members later located the man and
took him into custody.

Over the Memorial Day weekend,

Sgt. Arthur Giles cited a motorist
for traveling 98 mph on I-376. Ten
minutes later, a member of Troop T
cited the same driver for speeding down
the Turnpike at 83 mph.

Tpr. Amanda Cagno pursued a

pickup truck when the driver refused to
pull over. Both male occupants fled on
foot after the vehicle struck a tree. The
passenger was taken into custody and
charges were filed against the operator.

Giles stopped another speeding

vehicle on I-376 and discovered the
driver was DUI. The man tried to
use his brothers identity, but Giles
texted a photograph of the suspect to
his employer who positively identified
him.

While off duty, Tpr. Ronald

Calderone heard a faint screaming
coming from a neighboring house and
found the 76-year-old homeowner had
cut his leg with an electric saw and
was bleeding profusely. Calderone
summoned an ambulance and provided
medical attention until EMTs arrived.

TROOP D

Tpr. Brian Mechling discovered

a one-vehicle crash. The operator
disobeyed Mechling and fled the scene.
Mechling utilized the PIT maneuver
and brought the suspect to a stop.
After giving more commands without
compliance, Mechling utilized his ASP
baton to break the drivers window and
placed the vehicle in park. The suspect
was then taken into custody.

KITTANNING:

BEAVER:

A caller reported that a 13-year-old

girl was being held against her will at
a residence in South Bend Township.
Tpr. Eric Church responded and was
granted consent by the homeowner to
search the house. Church determined
the call was a hoax; however, he
discovered a marijuana-grow operation
with 20-30 plants.

The Beaver County District

Attorneys Office presented Tprs. J.
Russ Jenkins and Raymond Miller
with Top Gun Awards and recognized
Cpl. Robert LaLama and Retired Tprs.
Rocco DeMaiolo and Richard Matas
for solving a 34-year-old homicide in
which Gregory Scott Hopkins, a former
Bridgewater councilman, was found
guilty of strangling Catherine Walsh in
1979.

Cpl. Christopher Robbins and Tprs.

Brad Walters and Gary Zurn responded
to the Armstrong County Jail for a man
who was wandering around the prison
grounds and had tampered with an
electrical junction box. They found
him highly impaired by drugs with cuts
and bruises all over his body. He was
a former inmate who had previously
vandalized the jails sprinkler system
while he was incarcerated. The man

Page 12

was charged and then taken to the

hospital due to his high degree of
impairment.
Tpr. Thomas Karlo was dispatched
to State Route 28 for a disabled motorist
and found an occupant flagging down
passing motorists while four others
remained in the vehicle. None of the
five men could provide identification,
and Karlo spotted one individual
discarding a joint after taking a big huff.
Three of the men exited the vehicle
and approached the patrol vehicle
with Karlo inside. A CLEAN/NCIC
query indicated all five were from
West Virginia, including a juvenile
who was reported as a runaway. The
driver provided consent to search the
vehicle, and several loaded pistols were
found in the trunk. The occupants were
immediately detained, and a search
warrant was obtained. A total of four
loaded guns and drugs were found. All
of them were arrested on drug and gun
charges.
Tpr. Eric Maurer spoke at a local
elementary school about drugs and drug
addiction to fourth-, fifth-, and sixthgrade students. After his speech, a
fourth grader informed her teacher that
her dad was growing marijuana in their
home. Maurer notified the Vice Unit
who found a marijuana-grow operation
in a greenhouse outside the residence,
as well as one in a closet within the
residence.
MERCER:
A man was driving down the road
when he saw a snowmobile for sale
and realized it was his snowmobile
that was stolen five years ago. Tpr.
Timothy Repp investigated and verified
the identification number matched that
of the snowmobile the man reported
stolen in 2009.
A medical center employee
contacted dispatch when a patient
gave fictitious information and advised

PA State Police

them that he had a warrant. Repp

apprehended the suspect on a bench
warrant for traffic violations out of
Hermitage and Lawrence County.
Unbeknownst to a Walmart patron
who entered the bathroom with his
nine- and six-year-old sons, a predator
was watching their every move. The
suspect waited outside until the father
exited the bathroom with his youngest
son. The predator then entered the
bathroom and waited until the nine year
old exited the stall and began to wash
his hands. The man approached the
boy from behind, grabbed him around
the waist, pulled him into a stall, and
shut the door. The boy was able to free
himself and began to flee, but was pulled
back into the stall. The man released
the child when he began screaming
for his father. The boy ran from the
bathroom and located his father nearby.
The man fled the store into a wooded
area where members conducted an
extensive search. The actor was taken
into custody early the next morning and
charged with unlawful restraint and
simple assault. Tpr. Joseph Morris led
the investigation.
A hotel manager allowed a 20-yearold guest to borrow her car to go to
Walmart. When he did not return, she
decided to check his room. The room
was ransacked with a large amount of
blood on the walls, along with empty
pill bottles and multiple compressed air
cans throughout the room. When other
hotel employees located the man near
the Walmart, he fled into the woods.
Volunteer firefighters assisted Troopers
in searching the woods where the
suspect was eventually located. He was
then transported via ambulance for a
mental health evaluation and treatment
for several self-inflicted cuts on his
arms. Tpr. Brian Shevitz investigated.
NEW CASTLE:
A caller witnessed two men break
into a vending machine on Route 422

PA State Police

and called 9-1-1 with descriptions and

a license plate number. After a BOLO
was issued, Lt. Eric Hermick spotted
the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop.
The actors were taken into custody, and
a search warrant uncovered numerous
coins and one dollar bills, a crowbar,
ski mask, and several money bags.
Tpr. Randy Guy charged the men with
criminal attempted theft, criminal
conspiracy, and possessing instruments
of crime.
Tpr. Jason Young chased down a
vehicle at a high rate of speed after the
man failed to stop at a SHIELD West
detail on I-76. The operator bailed
out of the vehicle after several miles
and fled into a field, but was taken into
custody after a short foot pursuit. He
was DUI, was in possession of cocaine,
and had a suspended license.

TROOP E

Tpr. Stephen Oler, Troop E Camp Cadet Director, named Elizabeth Ann Abbate, daughter of Sgt. Chris Abbate (T&E), and Dylan
Yount as the Most Outstanding Cadets. Out
of 87 Cadets, these two were chosen to attend the next Commissioner's Honor Camp.

ERIE:
A 17-year-old girl avoided serious
injuries when her mini-van struck a
train. Tpr. Aaron Hancheck believes
the teen driver failed to heed the
warning lights before driving onto the
tracks. The conductor on the BuffaloPittsburgh Railroad engineer was
uninjured.

Tpr. Brandon Huffman attended the funeral of fallen Las Vegas Metro Police Officer
Alyn Beck. Officers Beck and Igor Soldo
were approached as they ate pizza and were
shot execution style by an anti-government
couple who went on to kill a bystander
before they died in a shoot-out with police in
a Walmart store. Prior to enlisting in PSP,
Huffman served with the LVMPD. He is
shown with Officer Raymond Hall.

Troopers were summoned to a

residence where a man was brandishing
a rifle at his girlfriends relatives who
were helping her gather her belongings
from the residence. The man was taken
into custody without incident. In a back
room of the trailer were two loaded
rifles, a muzzleloader, and a makeshift
shooting rest adjacent to the window.
The mans girlfriend had two black
eyes from being struck earlier in the
week during an argument. Tpr. Joseph
Titler arrested him on multiple counts
of terroristic threats, simple assault, and
recklessly endangering another person.
The Vice Unit and CLRT served
a search warrant on a residence for an
active meth lab. One man was taken
into custody and jailed. The Erie Bomb
Squad secured an inert grenade found
at the home. Cpl. Scott Zinram was the
lead investigator.

CORRY:
Tprs. Jason Hartman and Brian
Palm transported a woman to the
hospital after she slit her wrists. When
the woman overheard discussion about
a mental health commitment, she tried
to pull her stitches out and flee the ER.
While being restrained, she spit on,

Page 13

kicked, and punched the Troopers, but

was eventually restrained, treated, and
transported to the county jail.
A Union City man was charged
with a string of all-terrain vehicle thefts
in May. Tprs. Curtis Guntrum and
Kyle Tobin investigated. The actor was
jailed when he was unable to post bond.
Tpr. Brian Palm cited a woman after
her Rottweiler mauled her neighbors
arm. Another neighbor heard the victim
screaming and responded with a .357cal. handgun. The dog was fatally shot,
and the victim was taken to the hospital
for treatment.
FRANKLIN:
As the driver of a gasoline tanker
truck attempted to brake for stopped
traffic, the unit slid off the road and
down a small embankment. The driver
was pulled from the wreckage by a
volunteer firefighter after the rig rolled
over and burst into flames. The crash
damaged power lines, the roadway,
a house, and a garage. Nine fire
departments responded and Tpr. Jeffrey
Ames investigated.
Tprs. Todd Bingman and David
Brown were dispatched to a domestic
and spotted marijuana plants growing
inside the residence. Both parties
involved in the domestic were charged
with harassment and Act 64 violations.
An 18-year-old man escaped a
youth detention facility and fled into
a wooded area after he shoved a staff
member. He was located four hours
later and jailed after failing to post
bond.
GIRARD:

During a rolling domestic, the
22-year-old passenger grabbed the
steering wheel and attempted to steer
into oncoming traffic. He then began
punching the dashboard in an attempt

Page 14

Past and present Troopers joined in formation prior to the Paul Richey 5K and half marathons. This was the fifth year for the formation run. The marathons benefit a Venango
County domestic violence organization.

to deploy the airbags. Once the female

driver managed to pull over, she was
struck in the arm by her boyfriend
before he fled the scene. Tpr. Anthony
Tettis charged him with reckless
endangerment and harassment.
A 24-year-old man was not wearing
a helmet when he lost control of his
ATV and was ejected after striking a
tree. His father found him a day and a
half later, and the coroner pronounced
him dead at the scene. Tpr. Garrett
Padasak investigated.
Two motorists were traveling
together in the right lane of I-90 when a
group of ducks waddled into their path.
When the lead driver tried to swerve to
avoid hitting them, he was rear-ended
by the 78-year-old woman following
him. Both vehicles then pulled onto
the berm. It was then that the woman
realized her 99-year-old passenger did
not have a pulse. Tpr. Mark Temel
responded, as well as EMTs who
transported the female victim to the
hospital. It is believed that she suffered
a heart attack during the crash. She was
pronounced dead at the hospital.
Two girls, ages 16 and 18,
engaged in a physical altercation over
a marijuana pipe. Once the fight was
over, the older girl jumped into the bed

of a pickup truck and grabbed the 16

year old by the hair as the truck drove
away. She dragged the adolescent down
the road for a short distance, and when
she released her, the young girl struck
the pavement and suffered serious
injuries. Tpr. Temel filed aggravated
assault charges.
MEADVILLE:
While upstairs remodeling a room,
a man and his wife heard someone
downstairs.
They discovered a
neighbor and her dog, with whom they
had problems with in the past for the
dog running loose. The woman told
them that her dog told her to enter
the residence. Tprs. David Pifer and
Thomas Muha responded and cited her.
Tpr. Samuel Laureto arrested the
chief of a fire department and the fire
halls bookkeeper on multiple theft
charges. The bookkeeper intentionally
shorted deposits and kept the funds,
and the fire chief wrote checks for cash
from the club to purchase small games
of chance tickets.
Cpl. James Brown and Tprs.
Timothy Dilijonas and Kurt Obendorfer
responded to a one-vehicle crash and
found a vehicle partially blocking the
travel lane. The driver was lying across

PA State Police

the front floor of the vehicle. The man

was not wearing his seatbelt and was
apparently thrown around the inside of
the vehicle during the crash, leading to
his death.
Tpr. Daniel Beatty was running
radar on I-79 when a vehicle passed
him at 85 mph. A traffic stop was made
on the third-party rental vehicle, and
an odor of raw marijuana emanated
from within. When the driver denied
a consent search, the new warrantless
search rules were applied. Nearly a
pound of processed marijuana was
recovered, and the driver was charged
with PWID and related violations.
WARREN:

New York authorities provided a
vehicle description for a man wanted on
robbery and assault charges. Cpl. Mark
Cumberland spotted the suspect pull
into a gas station and ordered him to the
ground as he exited the store. He was
taken into custody without incident.

Troop F, Coudersport,
members participated in
a Border to Border seat
belt enforcement initiative
with the NYSP.

Members responded to Chapman

Dam Park where a woman was struck
in the shoulder by a stray bullet as
she watched her grandchildren swim.
She was airlifted for treatment as Tpr.
Jeffrey Osborne investigated.
Tpr. Todd Koebley investigated an
indecent assault and charged a 56-yearold man with corruption of minors and
unlawful contact with a minor. The
actor was jailed in lieu of bond.

Members of Troop F, Emporium, installed a stone memorial on the front lawn of the barracks in memory of Sgt. John LaRose who lost his life in a tragic motor vehicle crash on his
way home from work.

PA State Police

Tprs. Osborne and Joshua White

obtained a confession from one of two
juveniles who stole a $4,000 ATV. He
then led them to the location where he
hid it a couple months prior.

TROOP F

MONTOURSVILLE:
After a woman felt that her
14-year-old son was given meth during
a visit with his father, Tpr. Ryan Kelley
interviewed the boy. The teen detailed
the process that his father showed
him to manufacture meth, which was
consistent with the known process.
After the meth was produced, he and
his father snorted lines together. The
man then became extremely paranoid,
strapped a .357-cal. revolver to his
chest, and went outside to look for
two people he believed were living
underneath his trailer. After firing a
shot into the ground, he returned to the
trailer, loaded a 7-mm rifle, and went
to search the area in his truck. After
the interview, the boy was taken to a
hospital where he tested positive for
meth. A search warrant for the trailer
was obtained, and Troopers proceeded
to the residence with CLRT and SERT
members. The man was extracted from
the trailer by SERT and confessed to
the manufacture and delivery of meth,
providing it to his son, and being in
possession of an unregistered firearm

Page 15

with an obliterated serial number.

During the search, pseudoephedrine,
lithium, ammonium nitrate, and a .25cal. semi-automatic pistol with the
serial number obliterated were located.
He was charged with eight felonies and
one misdemeanor for manufacturing
and delivering meth, as well as
possessing a firearm with an obliterated
serial number.
MANSFIELD:

Tprs. Robert Evanchick and Tyler Morse

were requested to secure the scene of a
heroin overdose before EMTs arrived.
They discovered a unconscious teenager
in the residence, surrounded by assorted
paraphernalia. Morse began CPR while
Evanchick directed the ambulance driver.
After extensive treatment and two weeks
of hospitalization, the boy was expected to
make a full recovery. Capt. David Young
presented Morse and Evanchick with Letters of Commendation for their quick intervention and saving the young mans life.

MILTON:
Cpl. John McGeary and Tpr. Jared
Reichenbach responded to assist social
workers with serving a mental health
commitment on a woman that had
venom for the PSP. Upon arrival, they
had to chase her as she ran back into the
house. Once inside, all three went to
the floor in a subsequent struggle. She
was eventually committed to a local
hospital where it took eight people to
restrain her.
Tpr. Chad Rarig arrested a woman
for an on-view DUI during a midnight
shift.
Fourteen hours later, Tpr.

Page 16

Maxwell Andres arrested the woman

for DUI a second time after she struck a
parked vehicle.

TROOP G
BEDFORD:
Tpr. Garry Ford interviewed a man
who said a known associate threatened
to kill him after he was a witness to
illegal gun and drug activity. Patrol
members located the suspect who
was wanted by the U.S. Marshals and
in possession of a large sum of cash.
After search warrants were obtained,
two guns, nearly $1,200, marijuana,
and paraphernalia were seized. They
also spoke to an individual who bought
a gun from the suspect, because he
was not permitted to purchase one.
The suspect was arrested for persons
not to sell firearms, terroristic threats,
false identification to police, straw
purchase, and related firearms offenses.
Four local individuals were charged
with possession by Tpr. Michael
McCullough, and the actors girlfriend
was arrested for false identification to
police, possession of paraphernalia,
and possession of marijuana.
Tprs. Shawn Clark and Charles
Pennington spotted a vehicle with a
faulty headlight and clocked it at 80
mph in a 55-mph zone. Clark activated
the emergency lights, and the operator
accelerated to speeds in excess of
100 mph and began passing cars by
traveling in the oncoming lane. The
operator approached an intersection
too fast and lost control of the vehicle,
which spun clockwise and turned onto
its roof. The 17-year-old driver did not
have permission to use the car and was
immediately taken into custody.
HUNTINGDON:
Tprs. Donald Carnell and James
Gority responded for a disabled vehicle
and a disturbance. Prior to their arrival,
it was learned that the vehicle was

taken without the owners permission.

Contact was made with a 23 year
old at the vehicle who was under the
influence. After field sobriety tests, he
attempted to flee and was tackled by
Gority. While struggling to get him
handcuffed, Carnell drive-stunned the
man and gained compliance. During
transport to the hospital, he started to
spit at the Troopers. He was lodged on
a probation detainer.

The Station received a Commissioners

Award for having the lowest sick leave
usage in 2013. Sgt. Harold Rinker accepted
the award from Capt. Maynard Gray.

Tpr. Jason Davis responded to the

area of Trough Creek State Park for
a drowning. A 23-year-old man was
attempting to swim across a portion
of Lake Raystown and could not make
it. His sister and girlfriend were with
him and saw him go under, but could
not save him. Fire personnel located
the body under 24 feet of water with an
underwater camera.
After reading the newspaper that
morning, Tprs. Cory Despot and Joseph
Miller apprehended a 35-year-old man
who was listed as the countys most
wanted for failure to appear on DUI,
fleeing and eluding, driving under
suspension, and various traffic-related
offenses.
LEWISTOWN:
At approximately 7:00 a.m., a
motorist crossed into the opposing lane
of traffic and hit another vehicle headon. The at-fault driver tried to flee in

PA State Police

his vehicle, but only made it about 400

feet before it was rendered disabled.
He then exited his vehicle, walked past
the car he hit, which was on its roof
with two injured people inside, and fled
the scene. One of the victims sustained
extensive lacerations to her head
and legs. While an extensive search
was being conducted for the at-fault
driver, the registered owner of vehicle
arrived at the scene. She advised that
her boyfriend was the driver, but then
decided to provide false information and
refused to cooperate. She was arrested
and taken to jail. Her boyfriend was
spotted walking along State Route 522
shortly after 4:00 p.m. by an off-duty
member who was involved in the search
earlier that morning. Tpr. Stephen
Griffith apprehended the man without
incident. He was charged with a felony
count of accidents involving death or
serious bodily injury while not properly
licensed (he was DUI suspended)
and numerous other violations. Tpr.
Christopher Wilson investigated.

himself with the rear passenger seatbelt.

Buchheit immediately pulled over,
and the Troopers struggled to free the
seatbelt from around his neck. Buchheit
utilized his Taser and drive-stunned the
man to gain control. He calmed down
and the transport continued. He then
tried to use the front passenger seatbelt
to hang himself. During the struggle
over the seatbelt, he attempted to take
Pollicks firearm. Pollick secured him
until they made it to the medical center,
and hospital security officers helped
to secure him in a restraint chair. He
underwent a mental health evaluation
and was placed in the Centre County
Prison on $75,000 bail. Pollick received
a swollen upper lip from a head butt.

PHILIPSBURG:
Sgt. John Murarik became the new
Station Commander.
Tprs. Nathan Owens and Jason
Shaffer responded to a convenience
store where someone smashed out the
glass from a rear door with a tire iron
and stole over $50 in tobacco products
and $400 cash. Tpr. Richard Hoover
reviewed the surveillance footage with
one of the clerks who identified one of
the subjects. Hoover interviewed the
suspect, obtained a written confession,
identified three other individuals
that were involved, and charged all
four actors with burglary and related
offenses.
ROCKVIEW:
Tprs. Nicholas Buchheit and Jay
Pollick made an on-view DUI stop.
While en route to the hospital, the
35-year-old man attempted to hang

PA State Police

Capt. Maynard Gray presented a Letter of

Appreciation to Tpr. Barry Rowland for a
traffic stop that resulted in the seizure of
3,000 packets of heroin and two arrests.

On behalf of all Station members,

Sgt. Douglas Clark accepted a Letter
of Appreciation for their enforcement
efforts in May that resulted in 26 DUI
arrests, 1,206 traffic and 39 seatbelt
citations, and 660 warnings.
Tpr. Richard Swank responded
to a rural wooded area for a report of
marijuana plants. The grow operation
was discovered by a member of the
public and was posted on social media
outlets. Numerous people, including
teenagers, were aware of the location.
Seventy plants were seized as a result.
Several Station and Troop members
participated in a simulated active shooter
drill at Penns Valley High School. The

drill consisted of various Centre County

law enforcement agencies, emergency
response agencies, school district
employees, and role players.

TROOP H
CARLISLE:
Cpl. Brian Henneman interviewed
a truck driver who responded to an ad
for a physical so he could renew his
commercial drivers license (CDL).
A woman, who identified herself as a
doctor, picked him up at a rest stop on
I-81 and drove him to her residence for
the exam. After problems subsequently
arose when he attempted to renew his
CDL, he contacted PSP. The woman
was using a fake name and was not
even a doctor. After a search warrant
was served on her residence, she
was charged with numerous forgery,
fraudulent practices, theft, and drug
offenses.
A man arrived at a local hospital
with a gunshot wound that permeated
his fibula. He claimed he was shot while
walking down the street. A short time
later, a homeowner called the Station.
He had just returned from Maryland and
found blood in his residence and one of
his pistols lying out in the open, which
appeared to have been fired. Tprs. John
Boardman and Donn Reid discovered
the victim had been dog sitting for the
homeowner. The victim eventually
admitted to being accidently shot by a
friend. The homeowner was taken into
custody for an unrelated warrant.
When a drug deal at a convenience
store went bad, the dealers brother
stabbed the buyer in the abdomen with
a pocket knife. As the siblings took off
in a vehicle, the victim gave chase with
his girlfriend. After several miles, the
siblings exited their vehicle and began
kicking and pounding on the buyers
vehicle. When the buyers girlfriend
rolled down her window several inches
to hear what the siblings were saying,

Page 17

she was rewarded with pepper spray to

the face. The siblings took off again,
but were stopped by Patrol members a
short time later. Tpr. Matthew Johnston
investigated.
GETTYSBURG:
Tpr. Scott Denisch investigated
a high school teacher that was found
in possession of child pornography.
A school-issued laptop and his
personal external hard drive were
seized and analyzed. Numerous child
pornographic images were discovered
on the external hard drive, and the
teacher was charged accordingly.
Tprs. Chad Lasher and Jonathan
Wolfe were on patrol when two
motorists began to race at speeds over
100 mph. Both operators were under the
influence of drugs and alcohol and cited
with DUI, driving without a license,
recklessly endangering, speeding, and
racing.
Tprs. Chad Lasher and Eric Stuby
responded to a shooting-in-progress
and found a woman with a gunshot
wound to her leg. The suspect, who
later turned himself in at the Station,
had picked up a loaded Taurus .45
ACP and opened the cylinder. The gun
discharged immediately after he closed
the cylinder, striking the woman.
LYKENS:

TROOP J

EMBREEVILLE:

LANCASTER:

Tprs. Timothy Connolly and

Matthew Truscott assisted local police
when a hot air balloon landed in a field
with uneven terrain while still having
horizontal velocity. This caused the
basket to overturn, dumping the pilot
and ten passengers. The pilot died at
the hospital.

Tpr. James Trunfio responded to

the report of an unconscious man on
the side of the road. He located the
man who was alert and provided a fake
ID. During a CLEAN/NCIC query that
indicated an active warrant for failure
to appear, the man took off running.
After a short foot pursuit, he was taken
into custody and found with 28 empty
bags of heroin and a five-gallon bucket
full of copper.
Tpr. Scott Prushinski initiated a
traffic stop and found the driver highly
intoxicated. The operator defecated and
urinated inside his pants and registered
a 0.31 percent on a PBT.
AVONDALE:
A juvenile detention facility learned
a man and his wife were scheduled to
visit their incarcerated daughter that
evening and both were wanted on
various warrants. Tpr. Brian Kundick
apprehended the man, who was wanted
by the District Attorney and three
separate police departments, as well as
the woman, also wanted by the District
Attorney.
Cpl. Michael Stoner spotted a man,
who he had past dealings with, sitting
in his vehicle and ran a CLEAN/NCIC
query on him. The suspect had an active
warrant for a probation violation and
was taken into custody. He was also
in possession of heroin and associated
paraphernalia.
Cpl. Richard Townsend
retired with 28 years of
service.

Tpr. Christopher Wright provided a tour of

the Station to Boy Scout Pack 3311.

Page 18

Tpr. James Hoban stopped one

of two speeding motorcycles. After
he obtained the identity of the second
operator, he filed charges against both
riders.

TROOP K
PHILADELPHIA:
Tprs. Patrick Casey and George
Groves stopped a vehicle that was
swerving and nearly struck another
vehicle. The driver was DUI and in
possession of ten baggies of marijuana
and various prescription pills.
Tprs. William Crowley and Daniel
Woody stopped a vehicle that ran a red
light. When the driver claimed that
he did not have his drivers license,
they returned to their vehicle to run a
CLEAN /NCIC query. The passenger
exited the vehicle and took off running.
Crowley pursued him into the woods
and deployed his Taser to take him
into custody. A Live Scan determined
the driver had multiple warrants for
an armed robbery and drug offenses
in Philadelphia. The passenger was
charged with resisting arrest.
MEDIA:
Tprs. Steven Randolph and
James Sparenga stopped a driver who
disregarded road closure signs. The
operator and a passenger were in
possession of crack, and the operator
was DUI. Two days later, Tpr. Joseph
Yingling stopped the same driver,

PA State Police

arrested him again for DUI, and

apprehended his passenger who was a
fugitive and in possession of heroin.
As Tprs. Shante Felder and James
Lark were directing traffic due to
downed trees and wires, they had to take
evasive action to avoid being struck by
a DUI driver who was subsequently
apprehended.

During the search

for a suspect in a
bank robbery, Cpl.
Leo Luciani, Troop
L, Frackville, left no
stone unturned and
stopped a slow moving train to ensure
the suspect was not
onboard.

Saturation patrols in Chester City

resulted in: eight drug, six criminal,
and one DUI arrest; the apprehension
of four fugitives, and the issuance of 14
traffic citations.
Cpl. Felix Acosta spotted a vehicle
fleeing from a construction site theft.
Responding Troopers apprehended the
driver, who was a known Pagan and
armed with a handgun.
SKIPPACK:
Patrol
and
CIU
members
investigated after a man called the
Montgomery County 9-1-1 Center and
said there would be an explosion at
an unnamed school. The suspect was
narrowed down to a student at a middle
school in PSPs jurisdiction. The
building was evacuated and searched
by two PSP bomb dogs and the sheriffs
department. No explosives were found.
After a search of cell phone records, the
13-year-old boy was arrested.

location. He was taken into custody

without incident, and the victim was
treated for his wound.
Tprs. Harmon and Sonka stopped
a motorist who was driving erratically.
The known drug user was found in
possession of eight bags of heroin.

TROOP L
READING:
While
conducting
follow-up
interviews in an investigation, Tpr.
Vicente Lopez discovered a chop shop
and located several stolen vehicles.
The Auto Theft Unit responded and a
meth lab was also found. Five people
were arrested.

Tpr. Derik Frymire attempted to

stop a motorcycle for multiple traffic
violations when the operator took off.
The pursuit was terminated when the
operator created dangerous situations
for other motorists. After determining
his identity, the 21-year-old man was
found hiding under his mothers bed.

Tprs. Robert Hipp and Thomas

Moran were running radar in a grass
median when their marked vehicle was
rear-ended by a DUI motorist. Cpl.
James Marasco responded and arrested
the driver.

Cpl. Richard Schroeter and Tprs.

Joseph Harmon and Jordan Sonka
responded when a 30-year-old man
was stabbed by his girlfriends 17-yearold son. The teen fled the residence,
but called the Station and provided his

Tpr. Edward Lizewski and members

of the Major Case Team responded
when a body was found inside a tarp in
the woods. Within seven hours, they
identified the victim and arrested the
suspect.

PA State Police

FRACKVILLE:

HAMBURG:
The Station was notified by OnStar
of a stolen vehicle from Virginia
traveling east on I-78 near Exit 19.
Troopers positioned themselves near
Exits 29 and 30. As Troopers attempted
to stop the vehicle, the suspect
accelerated at a high rate of speed
and took the off ramp into Hamburg
Borough. After speeding through a
parking lot full of pedestrians, he struck
Tpr. Michael Kosloskys vehicle nearly
head-on. The force of the impact caused
both units to strike an unoccupied postal
delivery vehicle, which sustained heavy
damage. Koslosky was transported by
ambulance to the hospital where he
was treated and released. The suspect,
a 21-year-old man from New York,
was also treated at the hospital and
then released into PSP custody. He
was charged with aggravated assault,
simple assault, recklessly endangering,
receiving stolen property, fleeing or
attempting to elude a police officer,
unauthorized use of automobiles, and
numerous traffic violations and was
incarcerated in lieu of $500,000 straight
bail.
Members were requested to assist
in the search for a man that escaped
from sheriffs deputies as they were
escorting him at the courthouse. After
absconding, the suspect stole a vehicle

Page 19

and was last seen on State Route 501.

While Hamburg and Schuylkill Haven
members searched the area, local police
found the vehicle abandoned in a trailer
park. The man was transported to a
remote location in Tilden Township
where a perimeter and command
post were established. The Tilden
Township PD and Schuylkill County
Sherriffs Office assisted in setting
up the perimeter. Members and local
canine units searched the area with the
assistance of the Aviation Unit. The
suspect was found in a heavily-wooded
area by using handheld infrared
equipment and taken into custody
without incident.
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN:
Tprs. Robert Oakley and Holly
Reber-Billings responded to a parking
lot for two subjects that appeared to be
fake fighting. The actors were taken
into custody for the possession of three
concealed firearms without permits and
paraphernalia.

TROOP M
BETHLEHEM:
While initiating a traffic stop,
Tprs. Michael Hodgskin and Brandon
Jimmerson saw the driver throw several
little packets out passenger window.
Seven small bags of marijuana were
recovered, and the operator was found
to be DUI.
BELFAST:
Tpr. John Stepanski was traveling
through Easton when he heard a young
woman scream and spotted a naked man
bathing in the fountain in the middle of
the roundabout. When the man was
ordered out of the fountain, he fled on
foot and then began doing jumping
jacks on the sidewalk. Stepanski used
his Taser and took the subject into
custody. The actor admitted to smoking
synthetic marijuana and was charged.

Page 20

DUBLIN:

TREVOSE:

A homeowner called 9-1-1 after his

neighbor began discharging a firearm
near his residence. The man also
reported that his neighbor periodically
screams incoherently and discharges
a firearm into the woods behind their
homes.
Cpl. Harry Dannehower
and Tpr. Jordan Houck went to the
neighbors residence and could hear
him yelling in his residence. They asked
him to come out, and he eventually
complied. When asked why he was
yelling, he explained that he was telling
the voices he heard to leave him alone.
He said that he discharges the firearm
periodically to get some peace and
quiet. After Troopers informed him that
they were concerned for his health and
he should go to the hospital, the man
got in his truck and locked the doors.
Once he exited, he was handcuffed
for his safety and taken for a mental
health evaluation. He agreed to allow
the Troopers to take his firearms for
safekeeping.

Tpr. Justin Oliverio was dispatched

when a homeowner returned from a
cruise and found their nephews friend
sleeping in their shed. Oliverio charged
the man with trespassing.

As Vice President Joe Biden was

giving a commencement address at
the University of Delaware, a plane
violated protected air space. The pilot
was directed to land at the Doylestown
Airport where members took custody
of the man. The U.S. Secret Service
interviewed the pilot at the Station
and determined there was no threat
involved.
FOGELSVILLE:
After a woman heard a baby crying
in a neighboring home for an hour, she
went to check on the family. She found
the baby in a crib, drinking spoiled
milk, and wearing a leaking diaper. The
10-month-old child was placed into the
custody of CYS, and the 24-year-old
mother, who spent the evening at a bar
drinking, was charged with reckless
endangerment.

A woman contacted the CIU after

she was stopped by a security officer in
a Park and Ride lot for enforcement of
a vehicle code violation. The security
guard was interviewed and confessed
to attempting to enforce stop sign
violations within the Park and Ride.
Charges were filed accordingly by Cpl.
Joseph Altieri.

TROOP N

HAZLETON:

The Wright Township PD and Luzerne

County Township Supervisors recognized
Tpr. Robert Gavin and Officers Michael
Marshall (Wright Township) and John
Gyory (Fairview Township) for their heroic
actions to save the lives of the residents in a
fire last year that claimed two lives.

A woman returned home and

found that one of her sons had several
people inside. When she confronted
him, he shoved her into a coffee table
and struck his brother twice in the
face with an unknown object. Tprs.
Michael Foux and Justin Sannie found
the woman with abrasions on her wrist
and thigh and the male victim with a
head contusion and bloody nose. The
actor was in possession of 21 grams of
cocaine.

PA State Police

BLOOMSBURG:

SWIFTWATER:

Acting on a tip, members

apprehended a 21-year-old state
correctional inmate, who failed to
return to an intermediate punishment
program facility, and a 28-year-old
state correctional inmate who escaped
through a window from a pre-release
reentry facility.

Tpr. Brian Borowicz investigated

a residential burglary in which four
long guns and over $4,200 in jewelry
were taken.
Borowicz developed
and identified a suspect during the
investigation. He and Tpr. Casey
Newcomb interviewed the man who
admittedly sold two of the firearms to
a sporting goods store in Stroudsburg.
The man was arraigned on charges of
theft, unlawful taking, receiving stolen
property, and theft by deception.

FERN RIDGE:
While Tprs. Christopher Bohenek,
James Rabel, and Christopher
Tomlinson were assisting EMS at a
residence, Bohenek ran the subjects
name and learned the man had two
warrants. After searching the building
and coming up empty handed, a woman
suggested that he may be hiding in the
attic. Tomlinson ascended into the attic
crawlspace and spotted a human arm
sticking out from a bunch of insulation.
The subject was then apprehended and
jailed.
LEHIGHTON:
Tpr. Anthony Kingsley spotted
a dirt bike traveling on State Route
209, and the operator took off when he
initiated a traffic stop. After passing
numerous vehicles, cutting vehicles off,
and nearly striking a vehicle, the man
stopped the bike and was taken into
custody.
During an argument, a man was
shot in the chest at close range. Troopers
found the actor still at the scene and
took him into custody. The handgun
was found after a search warrant was
executed. The victim was airlifted for
treatment of life-threatening injuries.
Tpr. Martin Bibla investigated and
identified a suspect that burglarized a
business and stole bundles of electrical
wiring. The man was located and
charged with burglary, criminal
trespass, theft, and receiving stolen
property.

PA State Police

Local police requested all available

officers within Monroe County to
respond to an intersection on Main
Street in Stroudsburg Borough to assist
with a fight involving approximately
60 people. Stroud Regional Police
arrested multiple people on various
charges, including disorderly conduct
and aggravated assault on police.
The assisting members maintained
police presence until the large crowd
dispersed. Cpl. Robert Miller and Tprs.
Joseph Bissol, Andrew Depew, Donald
Macrae, Michael Strenchock, and Tyler
Waters responded, along with Tpr.
Gerald Lydon (Fern Ridge).

TROOP P
WYOMING:

After Tpr. Mark Conrad stopped
a vehicle and arrested the driver for
possessing three grams of cocaine, Vice
members executed a search warrant on
the actors residence. An additional 11
grams of cocaine with a street value
of $64,000 and paraphernalia were
recovered.

Donald Cole investigated and cited the

driver.
SHICKSHINNY:
When Tpr. Michael Wienckoski
stopped a pick-up truck, he discovered
the driver was DUI suspended and
the female passenger had an active
warrant. The driver appeared to be
under the influence of alcohol during
questioning, and Tpr. Kenneth Edwards
assisted in taking both occupants into
custody.
Members investigated and solved
four homicides in 22 days, as well as
several ongoing burglary investigations.
TUNKHANNOCK:
Tpr. John Youngblood was
unanimously voted Trooper of the
Week by his peers for solving two
burglaries, three motor vehicle thefts,
and the theft of a generator in a quarry.
During the course of that investigation,
a marijuana-grow operation was
discovered and terminated, clearing
cases in multiple counties.

TROOP R
DUNMORE:
A local police chief stopped a
vehicle for speeding, but a chase ensued
after the driver sped away. The driver
hit a pregnant motorist, spun out, and
then fled on foot into the woods. Cpl.
Scott Walck and Tpr. Mark Prushinski
apprehended the man and turned
him over to local officers who filed
numerous traffic and DUI charges.

LAPORTE:

TROOP T

A commercial truck driver, who was

making his first ever delivery, stopped
at the Station to ask for directions. In
doing so, he struck a One Way sign
in the driveway and a large decorative
boulder, moving it several feet. Tpr.

On July 23rd, The Pennsylvania

Turnpike
Commission
(PTC)
implemented a 70-mph speed limit on
a 100-mile stretch of toll road in the
south central part of the state. The 70-

Page 21

mph zone is on I-76 between the Blue

Mountain Interchange (exit #201) and
the Morgantown Interchange (exit
#298). Strict enforcement of the new
70-mph speed limit will be observed
by our Troopers during all Turnpike
speed-enforcement operations, said
Lt. Edward Murphy, Staff Services
Section Commander.
GIBSONIA:
Tpr. David Daniels spotted an
abandoned vehicle at Toll 76, and a
CLEAN/NCIC check revealed it was
stolen from Westmoreland County.
When the local PD did not want the car
processed, it was impounded.
KING OF PRUSSIA:
Tpr. Gerald Kling investigated
when a passing motorist reported an
injured woman sitting on a guiderail
shortly after 8:00 a.m. The 21-year-old
woman was located and said that she
and her friends had left a bar at 2:00
a.m. On the way home, she began to
feel sick and asked the driver to pull
over. She got out of the vehicle and her
friends drove off. She was then struck
by a passing vehicle, which continued
without stopping. Having sustained
a broken leg, she crawled under the
guiderail and passed out. Within
minutes, her friends realized that she
was not in the car and immediately
returned to the location, but could not
find her. They returned again while
Kling was at the scene and advised
that they tried to report her missing
to local police when she did not show
up for work that morning. They were
interviewed and provided consistent
statements on the chronology of events.
A motorist was traveling at a high
rate of speed when he attempted to
change lanes and sideswiped a BMW.
He lost control and was ejected when
the vehicle rolled over. Tpr. Frank
Weston found the man semi-conscious
with major head and leg injuries

Page 22

and immediately tended to him until

EMTs arrived. Tpr. Ernest Barber
investigated.
Tprs. Thomas Bishop, David
Dannehower, and Corey Monthei
assisted Tpr. Thomas Fleisher with a
SHIELD interdiction stop. A vehicle
search resulted in the seizure of 10
pounds of marijuana with a street value
of $32,000 and the arrests of both
occupants. Both individuals failed to
post the $100,000 straight cash bail and
were taken to Chester County Prison.
NEW STANTON:
Sgt. Kenneth Vogel, Gibsonia
Station Commander, stopped a speeding
vehicle and discovered the 20-year-old
driver was wanted by the Allegheny
County Sherriffs Office. Cpl. William
Potter and Tpr. Edward Hood of New
Stanton assisted, along with Tpr. Eric
Valentine of Gibsonia.
A truck driver was traveling too
fast to safely negotiate a curve and lost
control of the semi-trailer. Three large
steel coils dislodged from the trailer as
the truck and trailer rolled onto its side
and slid for about 200 feet. Two of the
coils rolled over a steep embankment
in a remote wooded area, and the
third came to rest on the road beside
the trailer. The driver was wearing
his seatbelt and sustained only minor
bruises and abrasions. Tpr. Ronald
Salandro investigated and charged the
driver while Cpl. Charles Seilhamer
performed a MCSAP inspection.
A vehicle with its dome light on
came up beside a tractor trailer as it
was traveling in the middle lane of the
Turnpike. Realizing the car was riding
beside him and not passing him, the
truck driver looked over and saw the
driver of the car masturbating. The
truck driver switched to the far right
lane, but the other driver switched lanes
to stay next to him. The truck driver
then called 9-1-1 and decreased his

speed, and the passenger car slowed as

well. The truck driver pulled off the
highway and obtained the suspects
license plate number as the man
continued down the road. Tpr. Stanley
Bradish and Tpr. Heath Waszo went to
the suspects residence and obtained a
full confession.
NEWVILLE:
Tpr. Mark Gray stopped a truck
that was reported as driving erratically/
dangerously through a work zone in
Bowmansville. The vehicle also exited
the Turnpike at an alarming speed. After
becoming agitated, confrontational, and
babbling incoherently, the driver was
arrested for DUI. During transport,
the actor became disorderly and
transitioned the handcuffs from the rear
to the front. Gray drive-stunned the
man to gain compliance and secured
the subject with the tie rope restraint.
Several York members assisted.
Tpr. Gray responded to a report
of a motorist with a flat tire in the left
lane of a restricted construction zone.
Gray suspected the driver was DUI,
and a consent search uncovered 35
packets of heroin, valued at $20,000.
The driver was arrested for DUI, and
both occupants were arrested for PWID
heroin.
SOMERSET:
While the Donegal Safety Patrol
was clearing zones, he saw a van
parked in the emergency pull off area
and found the driver unresponsive.
EMTs attempted to revive the man, and
the coroner determined he died from a
massive heart attack. Tpr. Christopher
Patrick investigated and Bedford
members notified the mans wife.

PA State Police

WHAT OTHERS SAY...

The Department is made aware of many letters and emails regarding the performance of our personnel. The following are examples:

To Kiski [Valley] State Police:

Please accept this correspondence as a letter of appreciation for the outstanding assistance your agency provided to
our police department during a time of need. The catastrophic
stabbing incident that occurred at the Franklin Regional Senior
High School on April 9, 2014, was something that every police
department hopes never happens. During a time that could
have very easily overwhelmed our agency, you came to the aid
of our officers and the Franklin Regional School District. Your
assistance played a key role in helping us to bring under control
a dire situation that threatened the safety and well-being of our
officers, medical personnel, students and school staff.
So, on behalf of the Murrysville Police Department, thank
you for whatever role you and your staff played in assisting us
during this time of need. If I can ever be of help or assistance to you, please feel free to contact me. Anything you need from
my officers, just ask.

Sincerely,
Thomas P. Seefeld
Chief of Police

On April 9, 2014, shortly before the school day began at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, a 16-year-old
student entered the school in all-black clothing and armed with a pair of eight-inch kitchen steak knives. He began
stabbing and slashing anyone he could in the crowded hallways until he was subdued by the assistant principal and
another student. Twenty students, ages 14 to 17, and the school resource officer were stabbed during the boys five-minute
rampage. Two other students suffered unrelated injuries while fleeing the school, and the attacker suffered injuries to his
hand.
A student pulled the fire alarm shortly after the attack began, which encouraged many people to evacuate the school and
reduced the number of victims. Fortunately, everyone recovered from their injuries, which ranged from mild to critical
in nature. The actor was charged with 21 counts each of attempted homicide and aggravated assault and a count of
possession of a weapon on school property. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Pennsylvania State Police Kiski [Valley] Barracks:
On behalf of the Municipality of Murrysville, thank you for
your assistance during the April 9 incident at the Franklin Regional
High School. While no town expects this type of emergency
situation to occur, we sincerely appreciated your Departments
rapid response and support.

Robert J. Brooks

Mayor

Municipality of Murrysville

PA State Police

Page 23

Pennsylvania State Police

Public Information Office
1800 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17110
www.psp.state.pa.us

BIRTHS

BSS:
Karen Leavitt, granddaughter
TROOP E:
Tpr. Christopher Wingard, son
TROOP H:
Tpr. Christopher Wright, daughter
TROOP M:
Cpl. Kyle Hartman, daughter
Member Assistance Program
Toll Free: 1-877-709-7674
www.pspcares.state.pa.us

Be sure to update
your change in life forms,
i.e. benefits, insurance, pension, etc.

PSP-HEMC ANNOUNCES EVENTS FOR THE 110TH

May 2, 2015, will mark the 110th anniversary of the Pennsylvania State Police.
To celebrate this historic occasion, the Museum (PSP-HEMC) has contracted with
the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center to be the site for the following events:
Friday evening, May 1, 2015 reception hosted by the PSTA
Saturday evening, May 2, 2015 banquet hosted by PSP-HEMC
On Sunday, May 3, 2015, the Department will conduct the annual Memorial
Service at the Academy to honor those members killed in the line of duty.
More information will be published in The Communicator, on the PSP-HEMC
and PSTA websites and through the Retirees Association information network as
the anniversary draws near.
PSP-HEMC will be offering
Anniversary Specials on current
items (for a limited time) to make
room for new Anniversary items.
So save the date on your calendar
and plan to join us next year as
we commemorate the birth of the
eldest uniformed organization of
its kind in the nation.THE
PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE.

Upcoming Blood Drives

Open to ALL active and retired personnel
August 28th
12:00 - 3:30 p.m.
December 11th
8:00 11:30 a.m.
Department Headquarters
1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg