Man Charged For Assaulting Female Police Officer In Union County

Harrisburg PA

14 May, 2022

9:21 PM

Description

By Melissa Farenish, NorthCentralPA.com May 14, 2022 A motorcyclist was charged for allegedly assaulting a female police officer in Union County after he was pulled over for a traffic violation. Paul D. Roach, 35, of Thompsontown, now faces felony charges of aggravated assault, misdemeanors of simple assault, resisting arrest, and various traffic summaries. When police pulled Roach over on Route 104 in Mifflinburg on April 22, he accused them of "making up reasons to stop him," according to Mifflinburg Police Officer David P. Shaffer. Police had observed Roach failing to use a turn signal. Roach began arguing with police and refused to show his identification. As Shaffer attempted to place Roach under arrest, he resisted and additional police were called. When a female officer arrived to assist, she attempted to help get Roach into a patrol vehicle, but he knocked her glasses off her face. Roach then grabbed her and knocked her to the ground, causing injury to her knee, Shaffer said. Officers on scene used a taser gun and stun gun on Roach several times unsuccessfully, as he continued to resist arrest. After a second shot to the leg with a stun gun, Roach placed his hands behind his back and was taken into custody. The female officer sustained an injury to her right knee and left wrist, Shaffer said. Her key fob also was broken during the struggle. Charges were filed at the office of District Judge Jeffrey Mensch and bail was set at $25,000 unsecured. A preliminary hearing is set for June 7 at Mensch's office. NorthcentralPa.com provides the region with reliable, relevant, and real-time news, covering weather, community news and events, crime, police activity, local, regional, and national alerts, and PennDOT-reported road construction and conditions. We report on local and regional politics, offer a platform for nonprofits to report their news and events, and share obituaries. Scanner reports let readers know what's happening outside their homes the minute it happens.