Police: Washington council member to be cited for public drunkenness
North Strabane Township police intend to file a public drunkenness citation against a Washington city councilman following an incident Wednesday evening at Napoli Restaurant on Park Place Drive.
Police said they responded to the restaurant just before 6 p.m. for the report of an intoxicated man attempting to leave in his vehicle and becoming aggressive with employees. When police arrived, they said they found Matthew D. Staniszewski, 41, of Buttonwood Avenue, sitting in the lobby with his father.
Police said the younger Staniszewski smelled of alcohol, was slurring his speech and swaying while they spoke with him. He allegedly told police “his father was here to pick him up with his pizza,” the police report said.
A witness told police Staniszewski appeared intoxicated when he ordered food, and an employee told police Staniszewski had consumed three glasses of wine and “became visibly intoxicated,” the report states.
Police said when female employees tried to stop Staniszewski from going to his car, Staniszewski allegedly became aggressive. A witness who tried to talk with Staniszewski said the councilman bumped into him and fell over, before “becoming even more upset” and “threatening a lawsuit,” the police report states.
Police said after they spoke with Staniszewski, he left the restaurant with his father. Police said the citation will be issued by summons. Staniszewski was contacted Thursday for a comment on the incident but did not immediately provide one.
Staniszewski has faced DUI charges three times.
His record was expunged following a 2005 conviction, but in 2006 he was charged with DUI and was found to have marijuana in his system. His blood-alcohol content in that case was 0.07 percent – just under the level at which intoxication is presumed. While that case was pending, Staniszewski was involved in a crash in October 2007 in North Strabane Township. A test showed he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.29 percent. In 2008, he served jail time for those cases and participated in treatment programs.
Staniszewski, who was elected to council in November, also served on council from 2006 to 2014.
Washington Mayor Scott Putnam declined to comment Thursday on the pending North Strabane citation.