ELIZABETHVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania state trooper was charged with felony strangulation and a number of other misdemeanors after he used his place in legislation enforcement to forcibly restrain and involuntarily commit his ex-girlfriend to a psychiatric facility, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.
Ronald Ok. Davis, 37, was additionally charged with illegal restraint, false imprisonment, easy assault, official oppression, and recklessly endangering one other particular person. The fees stem from Aug. 21, when he petitioned for an involuntary psychological well being dedication for his ex-girlfriend, saying she was suicidal based mostly on textual content messages he acquired.
Davis then used the authorized dedication doc to restrain her with out authorization from his supervisor, in keeping with a police affidavit.
A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police stated Monday that Davis was suspended with out pay after the costs had been filed on Thursday.
Jay Nigrini, an lawyer for Davis, stated that he was troubled by Davis being denied bail and had filed a movement to get him launched on bail.
“We’re assured as soon as all the info come to mild, Mr. Davis dedicated no crime however was searching for to guard a troubled younger lady who was in want of speedy medical consideration,” he stated in a cellphone interview Monday.
Davis positioned the girl and didn’t clarify to her why she was being restrained, resulting in a bodily altercation during which he drove her to the bottom and subdued her, in keeping with the charging paperwork. The lady was dedicated to a psychiatric facility for 72 hours.
The charging paperwork state that the textual content messages Davis used to safe the official documentation had been half of a bigger context that “revealed her frustration with Trooper Davis and his controlling habits (and her want to interrupt off the connection), not a real want to hurt herself.”
Trooper Davis’ omission was crucial within the securing of the Involuntary Psychological Well being Dedication, the affidavit stated.
Davis has been a state trooper since 2015 and is stationed in Jonestown, Pennsylvania.