Man pleads in assault case
A Georges Township man told a Fayette County judge he used mace on three state police troopers who came to his home last year while entering a general plea to three counts of aggravated assault Monday.
Christopher Kelley, 48, admitted to using the spray on the troopers, but did so after a verbally meandering plea during which he told Judge John F. Wagner Jr that he has a charter to run an ambulance, people steal his emergency plates and that a trooper punched him after his chihuahua bit the man’s shoe.
Represented by Assistant Public Defender Thomas W. Shaffer, Kelley told Wagner that after the dog bit a trooper, Kelley and the dog went back into the house to call the state police station to verify that troopers had been dispatched to his home.
At some point, Kelley testified, his parents came back from grocery shopping, a television news station showed up and more troopers came to his home.
Kelley initially said the first responding trooper was driving “a bogus police car” and he wasn’t sure he was actually a policeman. Later, he told Wagner, the troopers were in uniform.
“So you clearly see them in uniforms and can identify them as state police?” Wagner asked.
“Anybody can buy a uniform,” Kelley responded.
At some point, Kelley testified, a trooper punched him, and he ran inside his home. When he came out, he did so with a can of mace in his hand and sprayed three troopers, Kelley said.
Cpl. Douglas Rush, who filed charges in the case, alleged in court documents that Kelley held up a crew from Fairchance EMS who was responding to a neighbor’s home for a medical call. The crew had to take an alternate route because Kelley was standing in the middle of the road swinging a metal object. Troopers responded to Kelley’s home to see what was going on when he came outside and pepper sprayed three of them.
Kelley told Wagner he got into a fight with police over “turf and them infringing on my charter and stuff.” Kelley further testified that he has an ambulance, but that people steal his emergency plates.
Wagner asked Assistant District Attorney Michelle L. Kelley — who is unrelated to Christopher Kelley — if the defendant actually has an ambulance. The prosecutor said Christopher Kelley has a “Cadillac ambulance,” which is an older ambulance that most closely resembles a station wagon.
“Does he have a permit to use it?” Wagner asked.
“He believes so,” Michelle Kelley said.
Kelley could face up to a total of 30 years in prison and $75,000 in fines.
Wagner will sentence Christopher Kelley on March 14.