Man accused of assaulting Tamaqua police chief

Amanda Christman, Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pa.
·1 min read

Mar. 25—A Tamaqua man who struggled with police during a March 18 arrest fractured the police chief's nose, court papers say.

Malik Zver, 21, faces aggravated assault, simple assault, disorderly conduct and two counts of harassment by Tamaqua officers. His bail was set at $50,000 March 18 by Magisterial District Judge Stephen Bayer, Tamaqua.

According to arrest papers:

Zver pulled an apartment building door shut, locking it and laughing after police were called to 321 W. Broad St. at 7:50 a.m. for a man acting out of control in the hallway.

Some time passed before Zver opened the door and spoke to officers, who believed he was under the influence of something. He began banging on the door to an apartment. When the resident opened it, he screamed in her face. Officers then arrested him.

Zver resisted arrest as he walked down a flight of stairs and struggled with an officer as he was put in a police vehicle. At the police station, he threw an elbow at Police Chief Michael Hobbs, hitting him in the nose in the holding cell area. Zver was dragged into a cell after refusing to walk on his own. Once inside, he screamed and banged at the cell.

Hobbs was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with a fractured nose.

— Amanda Christman

Contact the writer: achristman@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3584