Officer Edward Sawicki III Charged with Assault and Disorderly Conduct

A Philadelphia police officer is charged with disorderly conduct, terroristic threats, assault and related charges in connection with an off-duty incident last year.

The district attorney's office said that at around 3 a.m. on Oct. 20, Edward Sawicki III backed his car into a man walking on a south Philadelphia street, hitting his knee.

The victim banged his hand on the trunk of Sawicki's car when he was struck.

Prosecutors said Sawicki got out of his car, pulled up his shirt to show his city-issued handgun and rushed at the victim, yelling racial epithets and threatening to kill him.

The victim contacted police and Sawicki was identified as a Philadelphia police officer.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said Wednesday that the 34-year-old officer is suspended with the intent to dismiss.

Officer Brian Decker Fired for Punching Clerk

The former township police officer fired for allegedly punching a Wawa clerk in the face last month is free on $25,000 unsecured bail after being officially charged today with assault.

Brian Decker, 33, was released from an undisclosed treatment facility Saturday morning and was transported to Ridley District Court by a relative. At 8:54 a.m., accompanied by his attorney S. Stanton Miller, Decker was arraigned on misdemeanor charges of simple assault and terroristic threats, and harassment, a summary offense.

The charges were the result of an investigation conducted by detectives from the Delaware County District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit.

Magisterial District Judge Anthony D. Scanlon set bail and Decker was released to the unnamed relative pending a preliminary hearing before Scanlon Jan. 14 in Springfield District Court.

Decker was off-duty at 4:33 p.m. Dec. 15 when he allegedly assaulted Monique Bronson, an assistant manager at the Wawa Food Market at 213 Morton Ave. in Folsom. The former police officer allegedly became enraged when Bronson asked him for identification during a chewing tobacco purchase.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Decker refused to show identification or leave the store. Bronson told investigators she offered to go into the storeroom with Decker and another employee to discuss the situation. While there, Decker struck her in the head and face several times with a closed fist, the affidavit states. Bronson and a customer called 911.

Bronson was treated at Riddle Memorial Hospital for a black eye and contusions.

Shortly after the incident, Bronson gave police a statement saying that Decker had threatened her, saying, “You better watch your back,” according to the affidavit. When she asked if he was threatening her, Decker allegedly replied, “Take it any way you want it. You will be out of here soon, you and your family better watch your back”

Bronson told investigators she had two previous run-ins with Decker when she asked for identification — one in June and another in late November/early December, according to the affidavit. Both times, she alleged, Decker yelled and became agitated when asked for identification.

Hours after the incident, Decker’s gun and badge were confiscated. The married father of two was fired from the force days later.

Ridley Police Capt. Charles Howley Decker’s alleged behavior would not be tolerated, adding that it was “a sad day for Ridley Township police.”

Howley added that Decker had some personal problems, but declined to elaborate.

Former Officer Joseph Bonachita Arrested for Burglary

A former Kauai police officer has been arrested on burglary, terroristic threats and weapons charges.

Forty-one-year-old Joseph Bonachita is out on $25,000 bail after being arrested earlier this week. Authorities have provided few details about the case.

Bonachita declined to comment.

The former officer also was the subject of a temporary restraining order filed by a woman shortly before she was found dead outside her Puhi home Aug. 17.

Police initially said they believed foul play was involved in 27-year-old Lauren Kagawa’s death but later determined it was a lethal mixture of prescription drugs and alcohol. They say they’re still investigating.

Bonachita, who Kagawa alleged had sexually assaulted her, has not been named as a suspect in the case, but police say they haven’t ruled him out.

Former Officer Anthony Siwinski Arrested for Terrorist Threats

A former Philadelphia police officer who worked as a school aid has been arrested in connection with ammunition discovered at Bensalem High School.

Anthony Siwinski was charged with terrorist threats, recklessly endangering another person and related charges, and sent to Bucks County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail, Bensalem police said.

On May 8, Siwinski had asked a student to take a piece of trash out of a water fountain, police said. The "trash" was several bullets wrapped in a threatening note.

The note said an assistant at the schools "was to die," while another note found later at the school stated the author hated the assistant and a bomb was going off "within the hour," police said.

Following an investigation, police identified Siwinski as the alleged author of the notes.
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Information:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20090516_Former_officer_accused_of_terroristic_threats.html

Veteran Officer Theodore Dixon Jr Charged With Pointing Weapon at Prisoner

A veteran McKeesport police officer was arrested and charged yesterday with threatening the life of a prisoner and pointing a gun at him.

Theodore R. Dixon Jr., 55, was placed on administrative leave by Police Chief Joseph Pero after he surrendered to detectives. He was charged with simple assault, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and official oppression.

Early Saturday morning, shots were fired through Officer Dixon's living room window while his wife and child were inside the house. Though no suspects were named, Officer Dixon became convinced that the attack was related to Sakarr Bray, 30, whom Officer Dixon had arrested for aggravated assault and was awaiting arraignment at the McKeesport police station.

Officer Dixon became agitated after the shots were fired at his home, according to a criminal complaint, telling other officers that "someone was gonna die."

Upon returning to the police station, Officer Dixon pointed his service revolver into Mr. Bray's holding cell.

Mr. Bray told investigators that Officer Dixon said, "I should kill you right now. I'm going to handle this my way. I'm gonna kill you and your brother. You tell your mom I'm gonna kill both of you all."

A surveillance camera captured Officer Dixon pointing the gun into the cell and Mr. Bray backing up with his hands in the air, according to the criminal complaint.

Officer Dixon was released and ordered to stay away from the Bray family. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday before District Judge Eugene Riazzi, who once was a McKeesport police sergeant, serving with Officer Dixon.

Calls to Chief Pero and McKeesport Mayor Jim Brewster were not returned.

Officer Dixon, a former lieutenant who ran unsuccessfully for district judge last year against Judge Riazzi, was dismissed from the McKeesport Police Department in February 1994 for violating a protection-from-abuse order obtained by his ex-girlfriend, Paula Cauley. Later that year, after spending a few months in jail, Officer Dixon was acquitted of assault and reckless endangerment charges, though he was convicted of harassment.

He was reinstated in 1999 and later won $176,000 in back pay for unjust termination.

Officer Dixon also was accused in July 1994 of asking a fellow police officer to kill Ms. Cauley. But the district attorney dismissed those charges in April 1995 because two key witnesses could not be found.



http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_590783.html

Officer Charged with Sharing Classified Files

A Hayward police officer on military leave is one of two Marine Corps reservists charged with sharing classified files in a terrorist probe without authorization, authorities said Wednesday.

Master Sgt. Reinaldo Pagan, 42, was charged by military officials in connection with an investigation into the "mishandling and compromise of classified information," said Maj. Jason Johnston, a Marine Corps spokesman.

Pagan has been a Hayward police officer for nine years and most recently worked in patrol. He is on military leave from the department.

Johnston declined to elaborate on the allegations, but according to media reports in San Diego, Pagan and Gunnery Sgt. Eric Froboese allegedly shared classified files from Camp Pendleton (San Diego County) with an anti-terrorism group of law-enforcement agencies in Los Angeles County.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported earlier this year that Marines at Camp Pendleton had stolen FBI surveillance files on Muslim religious sites in Los Angeles and the Islamic Center of San Diego. It is unclear how the Marines would have had access to the files.

Pagan was charged with dereliction of duty and orders violations. Froboese was charged with dereliction of duty, orders violations, conspiracy and wrongful transmission of classified information.

Neither reservist was available for comment, Johnston said.

Interim Hayward Police Chief Ron Ace said Wednesday that the department would take no action until after the military investigation was completed.

Officer Charles Weigold Jr Charged with Stalking

A Bethlehem police officer, after being released from an area hospital, was arrested Wednesday on charges stemming from a conflict earlier in the week with wife.

Charles W. Weigold Jr., 49, of Danielsville, is charged with stalking, harassment and terroristic threats and is free after posting $10,000 bail set by District Judge Michael J. Koury Jr. of Wilson.

Weigold's status with the Bethlehem Police Department could not be verified Wednesday.

At his arraignment Wednesday, Weigold told Koury his position with the department where he has worked for six years was ''questionable.'' Weigold also said he had voluntarily committed himself the previous night to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg.

On Tuesday in Northampton County Court, Weigold and his wife, Donna, 47, who lists her address as ''confidential'' in court records, got temporary protection-from-abuse orders against one another.

She says Monday her husband jammed a clip into his handgun and told her a ''blood bath'' was imminent; he says she sprayed him in the face with bleach during another argument.

She also filed a court petition Tuesday, claiming her husband called her son numerous times in an attempt to get her to drop the protection order. That led to his arrest Wednesday on the harassment charges.

At the arraignment, Weigold used $10,000 in cash that he withdrew from an account in his and his wife's names, which sparked a heated exchange between Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Taschner and defense attorney Bohdan Zelechiwsky of Bethlehem while Koury was out of the courtroom.

Taschner said Weigold withdrew the cash Monday and argued it was part of a pattern of ''harassment'' against his wife. Koury disagreed and permitted Weigold to use it to stay out of prison. Koury also ordered Weigold not to have any contact with his wife and required him to wear an electronic GPS monitor.

Before the arraignment began, Weigold chatted with a county detective about the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and showed reporters a large tattoo of the twin towers on his leg.

Weigold told Koury he had been a sergeant in the New York City Police Department, where he served 20 years.

Zelechiwsky said Weigold never had any trouble with the law before and had now found himself in an ''unfortunate situation'' that was ''totally out of character.''

Taschner said events in the Weigold household have been escalating and repeatedly described Weigold as a manipulative person who ''thinks he is smarter than everyone else.''

Officer Thomas Lam Charged with making Terrorist Threat

A Houston police officer is facing charges after an altercation in a parking lot on the southwest side of town.

The department said Officer Thomas Lam was off duty early Sunday morning when he and a friend got in a fight with a couple over a parking space.

Officer Lam allegedly threatened the couple. He’s been charged with making a terrorist threat.

The officer’s friend is charged with assault.