A Levittown man is facing a felony aggravated assault charge after police say he rushed a Central Bucks Regional officer, knocked him to the ground and wrapped an arm around his neck while refusing to let go during a Halloween night disturbance in Doylestown Borough. Joshua Alexander Leedie, 24, was taken into custody after the chaotic scene unfolded on West State Street.
According to Central Bucks Regional Police, officers were initially called to West State Street on Saturday to break up a physical altercation between two women. Both women were taken into custody without incident, police said. Leedie, however, was not part of that original fight.
Police allege that Leedie then rushed one of the responding officers, knocking him to the ground and pinning him there. Officers said he put his arm around the officer's neck and would not let go, a detail 6abc Philadelphia also reported in its account of the arrest.
Charges and Continued Resistance
Even after officers managed to handcuff him, police said Leedie kept fighting back, repeatedly kicking the door of the patrol vehicle while being transported. He was ultimately booked on aggravated assault, a second-degree felony, along with four additional charges, per the arrest listing from Central Bucks Regional Police.
Those additional counts include simple assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct for engaging in fighting, and public drunkenness, according to Patch. The outlet's reporting on the full slate of charges has not been independently verified against a court docket.
What the Aggravated Assault Statute Covers
Pennsylvania's aggravated assault statute lists police officers among those covered under the law, and grades aggravated assault under several of its subsections as a second-degree felony, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It is not established which specific subsection applies to the allegations against Leedie.
Leedie was arraigned following his arrest, with bail set at 10 percent of $75,000, and he was remanded to Bucks County Prison, police said. Central Bucks Regional Police noted in its release that criminal charges are merely allegations and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
