By SAXON DAUGHERTY
Staff writer
A Pittsburgh man is facing numerous charges for allegedly assaulting an Oil City police officer Sunday.
A criminal complaint filed through district judge Matthew Kirtland’s office said officers were sent to the area of East First Street at about 5:15 p.m. Sunday after receiving a report of a suspicious man on a bicycle with a guitar on his back.
Police made contact with the man, who identified himself as 54-year-old Matthew Henc, near St. Stephen Church, the complaint said.
It was determined there was an active warrant for Henc’s arrest, and he appeared to be intoxicated, the complaint said.
Henc became argumentative and belligerent when officers tried to take him into custody, the complaint said. He screamed at the officers as they placed his possessions in the back of the patrol vehicle, according to the complaint.
Henc was eventually taken to the Oil City Police Department, but be began dragging and stomping his feet in an attempt to resist being taken into the building, the complaint said.
Once Henc was inside a holding cell, police found a plastic bag containing suspected marijuana during a search, the complaint said.
When police later tried to remove Henc’s handcuffs, he tried to kick one of the officers and turned in an aggressive manner, which allowed an officer to fully remove the handcuffs, the complaint said.
The other officer was pushed backward by Henc, requiring further hands-on assistance, according to the complaint.
When Henc was placed on the holding cell bench area, he struck one of the officers in the facial area and continued to struggle with police in an aggressive manner, the complaint said.
He was given multiple verbal commands to stop, but police eventually tased him in order to safely retreat from the cell area, according to the complaint.
Charges against Henc include a felony count of aggravated assault, misdemeanor counts of simple assault and resisting arrest, and charges of possession of a controlled substance, use/possession of drug paraphernalia, harassment and public drunkenness.
Henc was arraigned Monday before Kirtland and placed in the Venango County jail on $50,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing has been tentatively scheduled for April 5 in Central Court.
