Pennsylvania Man Charged With Assault Over Playground Incident

Community members are often passionate about protecting their neighborhood. This often means being aware of the actions of others within the area and reporting anything suspicious or potentially illegal to the appropriate authorities. Unfortunately, a man in Pennsylvania is now facing an assault charge after he allegedly took matters into his own hands when police initially failed to respond to his calls about potential vandalism at a neighborhood playground.

The incident reportedly happened on a day in June. According to reports, the man is believed to have spotted two teenagers exiting an abandoned construction truck parked near a neighborhood park. The man reportedly called police to the scene, allegedly thinking the teens were vandalizing the truck. Reports claim that when officers failed to appear, the man confronted one of the teens.

The teenager’s mother claims that the man punched the teen first, prompting the teen to punch the man back. However,  the man claims the reverse is true. Video footage taken by the teen’s sister allegedly shows the man holding the teenager down, as he claimed that he was waiting for police to arrive. Criminal charges were filed against the man following an investigation.

In addition to a charge of simple assault, the man is also charged with criminal mischief. Unfortunately, even being charged with a crime can have serious personal and professional consequences. For example, the man, who works as a firefighter in Pennsylvania, has been suspended from his job. To help the man fully understand his legal situation and create the most appropriate response, he may want an experienced criminal defense attorney on his side.