CLEARFIELD – A DuBois man accused of fighting with a neighbor and the police officers who arrived on the scene, was sentenced Tuesday during colloquy court.
Dennis Paul Morley, 40, was originally charged by DuBois City police with aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, harassment and public drunkenness in relation to his actions on Aug. 19 at a home on West Long Avenue.
Police said he threatened a woman by saying he was going to throw her off the porch and mentioned that he had a gun. After officers arrived, Morley, who appeared intoxicated, insulted them before wrestling and hitting them.
President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman sentenced him to serve six months to one year in the county jail with four years concurrent probation for aggravated assault, a felony and misdemeanor resisting arrest.
He was ordered to have no contact with the victims, and to complete both drug/alcohol and anger management counseling.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, when officers went to Morley’s home, a woman there said she didn’t know where he was, but as they were speaking, Morley came from behind the door.
In the criminal complaint an officer noted that Morley “exhibited slurred speech” and was swaying as if he were highly intoxicated.
They explained why they were looking for him and Morley began accusing one of the officers for messing his life up previously and called him names. Both officers asked him to calm down.
Morley responded by saying “the fight is on. Let’s go, I’ll [expletive] you up!” it says in the affidavit.
As he made an “aggressive” movement toward them with his left arm raised in a way to indicate he was going to hit them, one of the officers stopped him and took him to the ground.
They wrestled while Morley continued to try to hit him. Morley did hit the other officer in the genital area, according to the report.
Both officers continually ordered him to stop resisting because he was under arrest, but he “continued to swing and fight with officers.”
Eventually they were able to secure his arms behind his back. At that point, they noticed that Morley was bleeding for his left knee and mouth. Emergency Medical Services was requested to respond to the scene.
When EMS arrived, Morley was reportedly uncooperative with them and he was transported to Penn Highlands DuBois West for a medical clearance. Once at the hospital, he “was extremely vulgar and profane with nursing staff” and the doctor.
Morley continued to scream and be confrontational so the doctor said he was medically cleared and provided the paperwork for him to be transported to the Jefferson County Jail on a probation violation.
In her written statement, the victim further explained that Morley was on the back deck of the building drinking with someone else when she noticed them.
After she went outside, Morley began to flirt with her and after she said she had a boyfriend, he insulted him. Then he threatened to beat him “dead.”
As the conversation proceeded, Morley reportedly got in her face and threatened to throw her off the railing. After she stood up to go back inside, he got “into her face” again causing her to ask if he was a psychopath.
His response was “I’ll show you psycho.”
She got back into her apartment where he kept knocking on her window. She said he told the other man on the porch that he was going to kick her down the steps and “I’m gonna spin around and show her a barrel.”
While on the phone with 911, she said she heard him say, “I’ll show you psycho. I’ll slide something under your door lit. I don’t care how. I’ll catch your apartment on fire.”