Hickory man accused of assaulting police officers, medics following crash
A Hickory man is accused of crashing his truck in Mt. Pleasant Township while intoxicated early Wednesday morning and then kicking and spitting on police officers and medics who were called to the scene.
Mt. Pleasant Township police said they responded shortly after 2 a.m. to the crash at Fort Cherry and Noblestown roads and saw Jacob Alan Skirpan get out of his wrecked pickup truck before hiding in nearby bushes.
Medics helped Skirpan out from the bushes, but his pants had fallen down and he had urinated and vomited on himself, according to court documents. Police said Skirpan was wobbly on his feet, smelled like alcohol and marijuana and allegedly told officers that his blood-alcohol level was “way over” the legal limit to drive a vehicle, according to court documents.
Skirpan then became combative with the medics and police officers as he was being placed in handcuffs at the scene, police said. As he was being taken to the ground, Skirpan kicked one police officer in the crotch and spit in his face, and he also kicked a medic in the mouth, causing an injury to his lip, according to court documents.
Skirpan was eventually taken to Canonsburg Hospital in North Strabane Township for a blood draw, but he once again became argumentative and allegedly kicked another Mt. Pleasant police officer in the crotch and attempted to kick other officers who were assisting, according to court documents. His behavior became so unruly that they were unable to test his blood-alcohol level and he was taken back to the Mt. Pleasant Police Department for processing, where he allegedly threatened officers, police said.
“I’m going to kill you,” Skirpan allegedly told police officers, according to court documents. “Take these cuffs off so I can beat your (expletive).”
Skirpan, 43, was eventually arraigned by District Judge Michael Manfredi on seven counts of felony aggravated assault, seven misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and various misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, terroristic threats and marijuana possession, along with numerous summary offenses. He is being held at the Washington County jail on $500,000 cash bond while he awaits his preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled for 10:45 a.m. Sept. 25 before District Judge Louis McQuillan.