CLEARFIELD – A man accused of attempting to disarm a police officer waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, officers from the Clearfield Borough Police Department were called to Clearfield Hospital on Dec. 17 for an out-of-control patient. A doctor on duty told police that Stephen Kohute Jr. Osceola Mills had arrived at 8:27 p.m. He said Kohute’s girlfriend called for assistance when Kohute reportedly had trouble breathing. It was reported that Kohute was on heroin, Adderal and Rittilin. He reportedly told responders he was not suicidal, just partying.
According to the complaint Kohute repeatedly threatened the staff at the hospital as well as the doctor assigned to treat him. He also refused treatment, according to court records. The doctor told police that Kohute told him if he was released that night, he would kill the doctor and his family. He also reportedly grabbed the doctor by the head at one point.
Officer Matt Mallon noted that when police arrived Kohute became agitated. The doctor told police that around this time Kohute was no longer a patient and that he would like him arrested.
This time when officers approached him he said, “Let’s do this.”
He reportedly lunged for Officer Nathan Curry’s taser. During the incident Kohute was tased by Officer Lucas Butler. After the incident Kohute told Curry that he was lucky he was as quick as he (Curry) was, because if he had the time, he would have shot curry. The complaint said the Kohute believed that he had grabbed Curry’s sidearm, not his taser.
Kohute was released on supervised bail. Kohute faces charges of aggravated and simple assault, disarming a law enforcement officer, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and public drunkeness.
