Beaver County Sheriff Arrested

[joe15003]

http://beavercountian.com/content/op...george-j-david



Editorial: Presenting Sheriff George J. David



By John Paul - Founder of BeaverCountian.com

Published on March 25, 2013 at 11:15 am








Note: Beaver County Sheriff George David has just been arrested by the Pennsylvania State Police, and was led from the courthouse in handcuffs.

“Sometimes people think we’re Superman, that we can put on a red cape and just fly in and make everything ok,” I remember Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Joseph Olayer saying to me. “You need to know that we’re not, but we’ll still try. We’ll do our best.”

Not long before I had been in the basement of the courthouse, terrified as the elected Sheriff of Beaver County pulled out his service weapon and began threatening murder. Two of his deputies were there with him, but they would later deny the events that unfolded. It would be my word against three men who were now hiding behind their badges. I have never felt more helpless.

It has been almost a year since that night.

We as a society rightfully praise as heroes the officer who runs into a school under siege by an active shooter. But while heroism is regularly celebrated, something just as important is often left unrecognized… dedication.

Over the past year I have seen that dedication in Corporal Joseph Olayer and his partner Corporal Daniel Mosura. Day after day, week after week, month after month, they have been working tirelessly to reveal the truth of what happened to me that afternoon, and of what has happened to so many others.

It is because of their efforts, I will be one of the last that George J. David has terrorized. Small town politics and cronies with big time influence had blanketed his misdeeds from view for far too long. It makes me physically ill when I think of how many he has hurt over his 40 year career, abusing both power and persons to achieve his own self-interests.

I am thankful for Corporals Olayer and Mosura, and we should all be thankful for the dedicated men and women like them — strangers who step in front of us when danger arises, who encourage us to follow behind until our journey becomes safe once again.

- JP

photo George D. David at swearing in ceremony / Beaver Countian file photo



http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/...eorge-d/nW3p4/




State police arrest Beaver County Sheriff George David on 11 charges


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Beaver County Sheriff George David


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BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. —


State police arrested Beaver County Sheriff George David on Monday on 11 misdemeanor charges including terroristic threats, simple assault, official oppression and intimidation of witnesses.

David, 65, of Hopewell, was under investigation by a state grand jury for several months.

According to Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane, a grand jury was told that David threatened a campaign volunteer saying he would, "cut [the man's] hands off and eat them."

Kane said David also threatened a newspaper reporter in front of witnesses, waved a gun at him and said he would, "blow [his] brains out."

The Grand Jury was told that David threatened a campaign volunteer, saying he would “cut (the man’s) hands off and eat them.” He also threatened a newspaper reporter in front of witnesses, waving a gun and saying he would “blow (his) brains out.”

“It’s not enough for law officers to simply abide by the law. They must also set a good example for others,” said Kane. “Sheriff David failed on both counts. He will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Police said David is scheduled to be arraigned before District Judge Tim Finn Monday afternoon. Police took him from the Beaver County Courthouse to state police barracks in Brighton

[flyingjunkie]

So in light of this, I have 2 questions:

1. Does this affect the status of any permits issued by Sheriff David based on his charges?

and

2. Who is going to be signing permits in his stead until a new sheriff is appointed/elected? Or will people wanting permits have to go to other counties or wait until the new sheriff?

[joe15003]

So in light of this, I have 2 questions:

1. Does this affect the status of any permits issued by Sheriff David based on his charges?

and

2. Who is going to be signing permits in his stead until a new sheriff is appointed/elected? Or will people wanting permits have to go to other counties or wait until the new sheriff?

Very good questions. I just renewed my LTCF and my wife just her's about a month ago. I was hoping someone with some know would be able to let us know and I wasn't sure where else to put this story.

[scruff]

That's a shame. He was a good 2A supporter. Hope he enjoys his time in the big house.

[Swarner793]

That's a shame. He was a good 2A supporter.

That is probably the only reason Kane went after him. That said, anyone that would do what is alleged he has done should get hammered, but LEOs do similar things often and you never hear anything.

Be safe (and free from oppression).

Scott

[brianinpa]

Another fine example of a public official's head getting bigger than the hat he wears.

[flyingjunkie]

Here are a few more questions I have as, though I'm more than certain this has happened before, I've never had the opportunity to follow it:

1. Who steps up into his place while these proceedings are taking place?

2. If he is found guilty and has to vacate his office, does the new sheriff get elected in a special election or is the new sheriff appointed until the next election?

[ohyeahfriday]

Here are a few more questions I have as, though I'm more than certain this has happened before, I've never had the opportunity to follow it:

1. Who steps up into his place while these proceedings are taking place?

2. If he is found guilty and has to vacate his office, does the new sheriff get elected in a special election or is the new sheriff appointed until the next election?

I would guess that there is no special election scheduled and that the chief duputy will step up as "acting sheriff" until the next regular election is held. I think that is how Wayne County handled the situation when the previous sheriff passed away mid-term.

[knight0334]

So in light of this, I have 2 questions:

1. Does this affect the status of any permits issued by Sheriff David based on his charges?

and

2. Who is going to be signing permits in his stead until a new sheriff is appointed/elected? Or will people wanting permits have to go to other counties or wait until the new sheriff?

1. No

2. In the absence of the Sheriff, an "Undersheriff", or highest ranked deputy may temporarily fulfill the duties in the name of the Sheriff. Residents may NOT apply in other counties.

[7six2]

As quoted at the end of the artical,

"David was allowed to remain free after his arraignment, but was ordered by a district judge to have no contact with the alleged victims, to surrender his blackjack, and not to carry a firearm. ". I am sure things would have turned out differently for you and me. A raid to confiscate all firearms etc.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Beaver County sheriff threatened to cut off the hands of a political campaign worker, pulled a gun on a newspaper reporter and then intimidated underlings and other witnesses so they wouldn't confirm the encounters to journalists and investigators, police and prosecutors said Monday.

Sheriff George David delivered expletive-fueled rants and uttered a racial slur to his alleged victims, according to a nine-page grand jury report supporting the charges.

"Shake my hand. I'll cut your ... hands off and I'll eat them. I'll cut your hands off," David told a Democratic campaign worker whom the sheriff believed had spoken ill about him behind his back, according to the grand jury.

David, a 65-year-old Democrat from Aliquippa, was arrested Monday at his office in Beaver and arraigned by a district judge who set a preliminary hearing April 1. He was charged with three counts of simple assault, three counts of witness intimidation, two counts of terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, official oppression and obstructing the administration of law, according to a report from the Pennsylvania State Police and Attorney General's office. The charges date back to an incident from November 2011.

David's attorney said his client is innocent.

"He's hurt and he's upset. I mean, when someone makes false allegations against you, and then he's wondering why is this happening, why is it happening? You know, all these people being called to the grand jury, and quite frankly, this is, they wasted a lot of money," said Myron Sainovich.

The county commissioners issued a statement saying they had no authority over David, because he's an elected official.

The campaign volunteer didn't report David's November 2011 threat to law enforcement for fear of losing his county job, authorities said.

When an online news website, the Beaver Countian, reported on it the following June, David then allegedly threatened the volunteer again.

In April, David allegedly also threatened the website's owner and lead reporter, John Paul Vranesevich, who had written about a controversy involving the purchase of deputies' uniforms.

Seated behind his desk, with two other deputies present, David allegedly threatened Vranesevich and complained about other stories written by J.D. Prose, a reporter for the Beaver County-Times. Referring to Prose, David put a blackjack on his desk and told Vranesevich he would beat Prose "worse than I used to beat the (blacks) in Aliquippa," using a racial slur, authorities said.

The grand jury said that encounter reached a "crescendo" when David began shouting, "If I knew I was going to die today, I would blow their ... brains out" - referring to Prose and county Prothonotary Nancy Werme, who David reportedly doesn't like, the grand jury found.

As the sheriff repeated that statement, witnesses said he took his gun from his holster and screamed at the online journalist, who previously had a good relationship with David.

"I'll blow your ... brains out, too," the sheriff said, according to the grand jury.

Vranesevich ran from the courthouse and told the grand jury he called the county detectives and also called Prose and Werme to warn them of David's remarks.

Afterward, two deputies wrote reports denying "that anything inappropriate happened during the meeting," the grand jury wrote, with one telling the panel he did so for fear of losing his job. Both deputies also told state troopers that David did nothing appropriate, before the deputy told the grand jury that David had asked him to lie.

"In the weeks and months following the incident, the sheriff repeatedly reiterated to at least one deputy that 'it never happened,'" the grand jury wrote. "This was understood as an effort on the sheriff's part to ensure that he maintained the deputy's loyalty and prevented the truth from being disclosed."

David was allowed to remain free after his arraignment, but was ordered by a district judge to have no contact with the alleged victims, to surrender his blackjack, and not to carry a firearm.

"We asked that he be excluded from the courthouse, again to ensure the victims' safety, the judge disagreed with that, we'll respect his decision," said Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Joseph Olayer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.