Washington man charged by city police with assault, child endangerment
A Washington man was arrested Thursday afternoon by city police after he allegedly struck an officer in the leg with his vehicle while they were on the street trying to serve him with a protection-from-abuse order obtained by his girlfriend.
Cory Andrew Whitlock, 27, of 45 Shaw Ave., had his two small children in the vehicle with him, and they were not restrained in child safety seats, police said, noting one was on his lap and the other on the front seat.
A 28-year-old woman who is reportedly the mother of the two children had obtained the order. Police went to the residence on Shaw to serve the order on Whitlock about 2:50 p.m., but the woman told them he had just left the home with the two children.
As police spoke with her, Whitlock drove down Shaw, rolled down the window and yelled obscenities before driving away, police said.
Police were walking to their cruiser when Whitlock drove back down the street. Officer Daniel Eberman ordered Whitlock to stop the vehicle, but police said Eberman was struck in the left leg by the vehicle as he tried to get out of the way. As Cpl. John Hritz stood in front of the vehicle, Eberman pounded on the window and ordered Whitlock to stop the car and put it in park. He said he saw an infant on Whitlock’s lap.
Whitlock stopped the vehicle and was ordered to put down the child. The mother was able to remove the child who had been on the front seat. When police opened the driver’s door, Whitlock was ordered to put the other child on the seat. They said he refused, stating, “I’m not going to jail.”
Hritz opened the rear, driver’s-side door and grabbed Whitlock’s shoulders as Eberman grabbed his arms. The infant’s mother was able to reach inside and grab the child.
Eberman reached inside the vehicle, put it in park and shut off the engine. The officers struggled with Whitlock as they tried to remove him from the vehicle. He was then taken into custody.
Whitlock was arraigned before District Judge Robert Redlinger on two counts each of endangering the welfare of children and failure to have them properly restrained and one count each of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and not having the vehicle insured. He was placed in Washington County Jail on $50,000 bond. He is scheduled for a Nov. 14 preliminary hearing before Redlinger.