CLEARFIELD – An Olanta man is facing charges for assaulting police officers at the Sapp Brothers Truck Stop.
Christopher Robert Mayhew, 35, is charged with two felony counts each of aggravated assault and assault of law enforcement officer, felony retail theft, three misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats, two misdemeanor counts of simple assault, misdemeanor resisting arrest, misdemeanor disorderly conduct and summaries.
He waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday during centralized court, sending the case on to the county court for further disposition. He is incarcerated on $25,000 bail.
The charges stem from his suspicious actions while at a restaurant and gift shop on the Clearfield Shawville Highway on Jan. 15.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, officers responded to the business to investigate a report of a suspicious male. The report was that the man was “acting weird” and was wrapped in a blanket. The man appeared to be under the influence of something as he was taking things off the shelves, running around and “just not acting right.”
When police made contact with the man, later identified as Mayhew, he was drinking a soda, had damaged a flashlight and had a pair of sunglasses for which he had not paid. He was asked what was happening and he replied by cursing at the officers.
A witness said the man had damaged and not paid for items that he had taken.
The man pulled out his wallet, placing it on the checkout counter. He then became agitated and kicked shelving in front of the checkout counter. He next allegedly charged at the officers, continuing to swear, and yelling “you want to fight?” Both officers backed up. One drew his tazer, but it malfunctioned. The other officer took Mayhew to the ground and both officers then restrained him and placed him in handcuffs.
One of the officers was able to radio for backup. Another officer responded, bringing with him leg shackles.
They placed the leg shackles on his ankles as the man continued to “kick, struggle, and threaten to kill officers and their families by shooting them,” it says in the affidavit.
At this point, the man was bleeding from the face/nose and reportedly spit blood in the face of one of the officers. Emergency Medical Services were called to the scene to treat Mayhew.
When EMS arrived, Mayhew continued to behave in the same manner toward them. He was then sedated by one of the paramedics.
But when officers tried to help him to his feet to get him on to a stretcher, he tried to head butt one of them and was taken to his knees and held against the stretcher until he became compliant. He was put on to the stretcher and strapped to it, as he continued to threaten to kill the officers or have others kill them while he watched, it says in the report.
A witness told police that Mayhew had come into the business with a woman.
When she was questioned, she explained that she was in her car at a nearby gas station and was entering an address into her GPS when her passenger door opened. Mayhew got inside and told her, “You are going to get what you deserve.” She asked why he was in her car, and he responded that he was God adding that she couldn’t be saved. He refused to get out of the vehicle and stated that someone was going to “finish her off.” He then told her to go across the road to a hotel.
Instead, this victim let him ramble while she drove to Sapp Brothers. Once there, he got out but came back for his backpack and blanket. He told her that she had better leave “cuz they are gonna kill you in the worst way.”
Once he was in the store, Mayhew reportedly started to take things off the shelves, follow customers through the store and to their vehicles, an employee said.
The female victim said she was by the hat rack when Mayhew came back toward her, making more threats before he went to the front counter and started “trashing stuff” until police arrived.
