A Crescent Township police officer was hospitalized after an altercation with a woman who was initially suspected of attempting to steal a cell phone from a 12-year-old girl waiting for a school bus, according to court documents. The incident took place last Friday morning on McGovern Boulevard. The accused assailant, Karri Viella, 37, who appears not to have a permanent address and was charged under Jane Doe, allegedly tried to punch the officer, Brian Tice, in the face and went as far as to bite, scratch, and attempt to strangle him, as well as trying to disarm him, as stated by the WPXI report.
Following a reported phone snatching attempt, the officer trailed footprints in the snow to find Viella purportedly trying to break into the Moon Township Municipal Authority's sewage pump house. Upon confrontation, the violent struggle occurred, and despite deploying his taser, which Viella reportedly shrugged off, Tice needed backup to take her into custody, according to WTAE's coverage of the criminal complaint.
Chief Frank Marks of the Crescent Township Police Department later updated the public on Officer Tice's condition via a Facebook post, confirming that the officer is "doing well." Furthermore, Marks expressed his gratitude towards the Allegheny County dispatchers and supporting law enforcement agencies for their assistance during the ordeal with Viella, who now faces multiple charges, including assault of a law enforcement officer and robbery, as reported by WPXI.
The suspect, who did not possess any identification at the time of the arrest, is being held at the Allegheny County Jail awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for December 30th.
