Apr 12, 2016 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – A former Waynesburg police officer who assaulted a man in 2014 while he was intoxicated and off-duty apologized in court during his sentencing Monday morning.

“I’d like to formally apologize to the victim, the witness and anyone else affected by this,” Asa Winters said during his sentencing.

Winters, 30, of Waynesburg, was intoxicated when he entered an apartment at 62 S. Richhill St., Dec. 31, 2014, and assaulted a man he believed was dating his ex-girlfriend, according to police records, but he beat up the wrong man.

He struck Tanner Downing, who lived at the South Richhill Street apartment, 10 to 12 times, according to court documents. Downing told police, during the assault, he tried explaining to Winters he was mistaking Downing for Downing’s roommate, who had dated Winter’s ex-girlfriend, according to court documents.

Winters, who was a K-9 handler for the borough, resigned from his position as a police officer in April 2015 just before charges were filed against him, which included burglary, criminal trespass, simple assault and public drunkenness.

Last November, Winters plead guilty to simple assault, criminal trespass and public drunkenness. He was sentenced Monday by Senior Judge Hiram Carpenter III to one year of probation. Winters also will have to pay court costs and $350 in fines.

Winters told Carpenter that he has been sober and attended support meetings for more than a year. He said he wants to “move on from this.”

Carpenter advised him to “let this be the dumbest thing you ever do.”

Winters worked part-time for the police department from 2010 to 2013, then full-time until his resignation last April.

He was taken off the roster a month before the charges were filed.