JEFFERSON CO., Pa. (EYT) – The case against a man accused of assault in connection with a police pursuit in Perry Township moved forward in court this week.
According to court documents, the following charges against 68-year-old Jonathon Andrew Zimmerman, of Indiana, Pa., were waived for court on Thursday, November 7.
He faces the following charges:
– Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Officer, Misdemeanor 2
– DUI: Controlled Substance – Impaired Ability – 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
– Simple Assault, Misdemeanor 2 (two counts)
– Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2 (two counts)
– Resist Arrest/Other Law Enforcement, Misdemeanor 2
– Disorderly Conduct Engage In Fighting, Misdemeanor 3
– Follow Too Closely, Summary
The charges have been transferred to the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas.
Two first-degree felony counts of aggravated assault filed against Zimmerman were withdrawn.
Zimmerman is currently free on $45,000.00 unsecured bail.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred in Perry Township on Monday, October 14.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint, on October 14, Punxsutawney-based State Police received a call from a known woman reporting that her husband had left Brookville and may be having a diabetic emergency based on his behavior. She requested that police make contact with him.
According to the complaint, while canvassing the area, Trooper Mosier, of PSP Punxsutawney, located the man in question and observed him committing the summary traffic violation of following too closely. Trooper Mosier then initiated a traffic stop.
The complaint notes the man was slow to respond, but eventually stopped on Frostburg Road at its intersection with Sprinkle Mills Road. Medics were then summoned to the scene to evaluate the man, identified as Jonathon Andrew Zimmerman. However, Zimmerman refused treatment.
Zimmerman informed Trooper Mosier and the medics that he was taking medications because of some ailments that he has, according to the complaint.
At that point, Trooper Mosier summoned Corporal Means to the scene to help assess Zimmerman.
Zimmerman allegedly became confrontational and refused to comply after Corporal Means arrived at the scene. When asked to place his vehicle in park and turn it off, Zimmerman allegedly refused. He was then advised that he was being detained for investigative purposes and asked again to put the vehicle in part and turn it off, according to the complaint.
Zimmerman then rolled up the window and began to drive away. Following “stronger verbal commands” Zimmerman allegedly stopped again, but still refused to get out of the vehicle. Corporal Means then extracted his ASP baton and informed Zimmerman that if he didn’t exit the vehicle, the window would be broken to “assist him from the vehicle.”
According to the complaint, Zimmerman then began driving away, at which point Corporal Means broke the window of the vehicle. Zimmerman then fled the scene at a high rate of speed, and a pursuit ensued.
Doing the pursuit, Trooper Lowry deployed Stinger Strips which successfully deflated the right front tire of Zimmerman’s vehicle. Zimmerman then continued to drive for approximately ten miles with the right front tire incapacitated, the complaint indicates.
Due to approaching Brookville Borough during a time when students were going to be released from school, a decision was then made by police to utilize a channeling technique to stop Zimmerman, according to the complaint.
Corporal Means pulled in front of Zimmerman to slow him down, while Trooper Mosier pulled alongside him and Trooper Lowry pulled behind him. Zimmerman was then successfully brought to a safe stop on State Route 36 near Roller Coaster Road.
The complaint notes that Zimmerman continued to refuse to exit his vehicle, and Corporal Means then deployed his taser, striking Zimmerman in the chest and abdomen.
According to the complaint, the taser had no visible effect on Zimmerman, and he began pulling the wires off of himself. As he was doing so, Trooper Lowry was able to unlock the driver’s side door of the vehicle, and Zimmerman was then extracted from it and taken into custody.
Zimmerman was taken to the Punxsutawney Hospital for medical clearance and a legal blood draw.
He was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock at 9:50 a.m. on October 14.
He was lodged in the Jefferson County Jail on $45,000.00 (10%) monetary bail.
He was released on October 23 after his bail type was changed to unsecured.
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