A transient Franklin woman is facing aggravated assault and other charges in connection with incidents in Franklin and at UPMC Northwest that included a struggle with a Franklin police officer.
Franklin police said in a criminal complaint that an officer was walking in Fountain Park on May 17 and saw Yvonne McCrae, 45, sitting on a bench near Liberty Street. McCrae had previously been warned multiple times for yelling obscenities and harassing passers-by, the complaint said.
McCrae became agitated as the park became busier, according to the complaint. She screamed at an elderly woman who parked in front of her and was using the sidewalk, the complaint said.
After the officer got her attention, he gave her a verbal warning, and he said she would be arrested if her actions continued, the complaint said. But McCrae became aggressive and began yelling racial slurs at the officer, and the officer eventually arrested her for disorderly conduct, the complaint said.
The officer took control of her left wrist and began placing her in handcuffs, and McCrae looked over her right shoulder and said, “Oh, it’s on,” the complaint said.
McCrae struggled to pull her left arm in front of her and struck the officer in the face, head, and right shoulder with her right hand, the complaint said.
The officer ordered McCrae to stop resisting arrest, but she continued and the officer struggled to gain control over her arms to safely handcuff her, the complaint said. McCrae made several threatening statements to the officer, including that she would kill him, the complaint said.
As backup arrived, the officer was able to handcuff McCrae, the complaint said. But McCrae refused to stand on her own and police had to lift her and place her in the police vehicle, the complaint said.
McCrae was transported to UPMC Northwest, and she was uncooperative after getting in a room at the hospital, the complaint said.
The officer explained to UPMC police that McCrae threatened to kill him, and she denied the allegation and threatened that if she got hold of his duty weapon she would kill him, the complaint said.
McCrae was charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault, misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats and resisting arrest, and three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct.
She was placed in the Venango County jail, and her preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 22 in Central Court.
