Mount Carmel police used a Taser and pepper spray while arresting a 55-year-old man who reportedly became verbally hostile and threatened his girlfriend as officers tried to remove him from his home under an emergency protection from abuse order. The arrest of Robert Heiser Jr. unfolded on October 26, and no officers or the woman involved were hurt during the confrontation.
According to WKOK, Heiser's girlfriend had obtained the emergency protection order, and officers went to the residence in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, to remove him under its terms. Once there, the outlet reports, Heiser grew verbally hostile toward the officers and threatened the woman.
Police Report Dog Was Released
Police also accused Heiser of releasing an aggressive dog toward officers. They used pepper spray to keep the dog from attacking and later deployed a Taser on Heiser to take him into custody, WKOK reported.
WKOK reported that Heiser was taken into custody and charged with felony aggravated assault.
How Emergency PFAs Work
According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, emergency protection-from-abuse orders are issued after hours by a Magisterial District Judge and remain in effect until the next business day, when the court reopens. That general timeline does not establish whether those terms applied to Heiser's order, and the available reporting does not say what hearing followed in this case.
What Remains Unclear
WKOK's account does not identify the dog's breed or say what happened to it, or whether the dog-related allegation led to additional charges. The report also does not provide the order's specific terms or status in this case.
