May 3, 2018 3 min read

A Chartiers Township man was arrested last week on a warrant obtained by state police on charges of terroristic threats after he allegedly threatened the township police chief and a sergeant.

David Curtis Steede, 49, was taken into custody April 26 without incident in the parking lot at Trinity Point in South Strabane Township. Trooper Thomas Kress, who obtained the arrest warrant the day after Steede allegedly made the threats, said police had received information that he had returned to the area.

Kress said that Steede reportedly made the threats to kill Chief James Horvath and Detective Sgt. Steven Horvath during a session with his therapist.

“He had apparently issues with the department,” Kress said. “The department had arrested him.”

Court records show that he was arrested in March 2015 on sexual assault charges, but the case against him was dismissed four months later.

Steede had gone to a scheduled counseling session at an office on West Chestnut Street in Washington on March 1.

During the session, Steede reportedly told his counselor that it was his last session before he was leaving for the Appalachian Trail. He also allegedly told the counselor that if he did not find salvation on the trail, he was going to kill both officers, according to court documents.

Steede was reportedly angry during the session, saying the system ruined him and that he had nothing to start over. The counselor reportedly explained to Steede that she had a duty to warn police. The Chartiers man allegedly persisted and again said that if he did not find salvation he was going to kill the two officers. He also reportedly told the counselor that he would then kill himself rather than go to jail.

Kress said that Steede left the area after the session.

“We know he went to Washington, D.C., and he may have been in Georgia,” Kress said.

Chief Horvath said that he was notified that day the counselor. He then contacted the district attorney’s office. Kress said that office referred the case to state police.

Horvath said his department has handled many cases at the Steede’s home, but since neither he nor Sgt. Horvath are on patrol, most matters were handled by other officers. The chief said Steede may have issues with him because he is the head of the department.

Steede was arraigned before District Judge Larry Hopkins and initially put in Washington County jail on $25,000 bond. After a pretrial services conference Monday, Washington County Judge John F. DiSalle increased Steede’s bond to $100,000 and ordered him to have no contact with the Chartiers police department.

Steede is scheduled for a May 9 preliminary hearing before District Judge Robert Redlinger.