An intoxicated Dunmore man kicked one police officer in the chest and another in the leg as they were responding to Price Chopper to assist staff with a drunken employee, according to a criminal complaint.
Shawn English, of 212 Smith St., faces charges of aggravated assault, resisting law enforcement officers, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.
According to the complaint, at about 6 p.m. on Friday Dunmore police officers responded to Price Chopper on the O’Neill Highway for the report of an intoxicated employee, later identified as English, who was asked to leave and wouldn’t.
Officers met with the operational manager, who said he called English, 24, into the office to discuss personnel issues. When English began acting erratically, he was asked to leave and return to discuss matters at a later time.
English, who appeared extremely intoxicated, immediately became agitated and began yelling, the manager said.
When officers spoke with English, they noticed he smelled of alcohol and was slurring his words as he spoke. He admitted to Officer Anthony Cali that he had been drinking.
Officers told English he was not allowed in the store and asked him to walk to the vestibule so management could give him his sweatshirt.
When English walked back into the main area of the store, officers reminded him he needed to return to the vestibule area and he responded, “I’m fine right here,” and remained in the doorway.
Multiple officers then attempted to take English into custody and he resisted, refusing to be placed in handcuffs.
Officers took English to the ground and escorted him to a police vehicle, where he continued to kick and refused to enter. He was ultimately placed in a Throop police vehicle, where he began kicking the door.
When Officer Michael Carroll opened the door, English kicked him in the chest.
Officers again took English to the ground.
When officers attempted to place him in leg shackles, English kicked Officer Michael Gervasi in the leg, causing scratches.
English also threatened Carroll, saying, “I’m going to smash your dome in.”
Because English began “nodding off,” officers called for emergency medical personnel.
Before an ambulance arrived, English admitted he had used drugs, describing the drug as a “white powdery substance.”
Once in the ambulance, English threatened to hurt himself. Officers completed involuntary commitment paperwork, and custody was transferred to Geisinger Community Medical Center for care. He remains at the Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. on Feb. 20 before District Judge Alyce Farrell.