Thursday, January 28, 2010

Officer Thomas Walker's Court Postponed After New Charges Filed

A South Fayette Township police officer accused of DUI after crashing into two Bridgeville police cars was in court on Thursday.

However, the hearing for Thomas Walker, 38, was postponed after prosecutors entered seven new charges in the case.

Investigators said Walker -- who was off duty at the time of the Dec. 18 crash -- was drunk when he slammed into two police cars that were blocking off Millers Run Road in Cecil Township.

Police suspected Walker was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, and the criminal complaint states that he refused a blood-alcohol test.

The two officers were taken to the hospital after the crash with non-life threatening injuries. One of them -- Sgt. Gary James -- will be off work for 12 weeks.

After the crash, police said they placed Walker in a police cruiser but he was spotted walking away. Police said they yelled for him to stop and arrested him when he continued walking.

At Thursday's hearing, Walker's attorney, Noah Geary, said that they didn't know more charges would be filed. Geary said that District Judge Valarie Costanzo granted a postponement for that reason.

The new charges include reckless driving, careless driving, resisting arrest, escape, recklessly endangering another person and fleeing the scene of an accident, Geary said.

Walker is due back in court Feb. 10.

The South Fayette police chief told Channel 4 Action News that Walker has been with the department for three years.
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