Donora man charged with assault of police officer
A Donora man is accused of assaulting a borough officer while police attempted to restrain him in the department’s holding cell.
Antwane Cunningham, 26, is charged with aggravated assault, a felony, and misdemeanors of simple assault and disorderly conduct. Cunningham’s exact address is unknown, according to the criminal complaint.
Court papers state that on the evening of March 25, Donora police were alerted to a situation at Touched by an Angel, a personal care home on McKean Avenue.
According to the complaint, Cunningham was standing on the sidewalk outside and yelling toward the business. Cunningham had previously been banned from the business for harassing employees, police said.
Police reported that Cunningham’s breath smelled of alcohol and he was slurring his speech. Officer Michael Parry placed Cunningham in handcuffs and placed him in the police car. Cunningham later became “argumentative and verbally aggressive” when he was taken back to the police department and searched.
“Once in the holding cell, Cunningham began to scream racial slurs at police and kicking the cell doors,” the complaint states.
According to the complaint, Cunningham attempted to flood the cell’s toilet using his hands, and police attempted to handcuff him to the cell’s metal bed. While he was being restrained, Cunningham allegedly kicked Officer Robert Dorcon twice in the leg.
He was later transported to Washington County jail.
Cunningham was arraigned Thursday morning before District Judge Mark Wilson, who set bond at $25,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. April 3 before Wilson.