Man waives charges in scuffle with police
A Connellsville man accused of assaulting police officers during a scuffle in Uniontown in October waived all charges against him to court last week. Devin M. Fitzgerald, 18, of 233 Fairview Ave. was charged earlier this month with aggravated assault, failure to disperse, simple assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct following a brawl with police in the parking lot of a business on Morgantown Street.
Fitzgerald waived all the charges to Fayette County Court during a preliminary hearing Jan. 22 before Senior Magisterial District Judge Robert Breakiron.
Police served an arrest warrant for Fitzgerald at a business on Connellsville Street at 4:12 a.m. Jan. 17.
According to reports filed by Uniontown officers Jennifer Field, John Kauer and Dave Hromada, the charges stem from an incident that occurred Oct. 13 when police received a report of large group of people running at moving vehicles on Main Street shortly after 10 p.m.
As Kauer and Hromada came upon the mob, police said, as many as 60 people scattered in all directions. A large group ran down an alley toward Morgantown Street, yelling obscenities and screaming at police. Field said she immediately radioed for assistance.
Police said the crowd then moved down Morgantown Street as officers ordered them to go home.
All three officers said the group did not disperse but became more combative, yelling profanities at police. Kauer said that the crowd continued to refuse to move.
Kauer said Fitzgerald appeared to be leading the group and noticed that the throng seemed to be responding to the insults and obscenities being shouted by him.
Kauer approached him and ordered him to move, but Fitzgerald refused, police said.
Kauer then tried to take Fitzgerald into custody but he pulled away and yelled more obscenities toward the officers. Field said in her report that Fitzgerald then turned around to “face off with Officer Kauer,” and a scuffle ensued.
During the fracas, several females jumped onto Kauer’s back, Field reported. At that point, Hromada and Field helped to fight off the women and take Fitzgerald into custody, police said.
Fitzgerald remains in the Fayette County Prison on $20,000 straight cash bond.