Child, 18 months, tased in scuffle between father and police in Schuylkill Haven
May 26—SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — A borough man was jailed after police said he used his 18-month-old son as a shield while fighting with officers, causing the child to be shot with a Taser Tuesday night.
Schuylkill Haven Police Patrolman Kenneth Jacoby charged Joshua King, 35, of 619 N. Garfield Ave., who was tased five times before he was subdued.
Jacoby said the incident unfolded around 9:44 p.m. at the man's home, which is divided into apartments, one occupied by King and the other by his parents. Jacoby said King's father, Russell King, reported his son had been in an upstairs part of the home with the boy and barged into the house saying his son was hungry.
Jacoby said he, assisted by police from Orwigsburg and Penn State Schuylkill, went to the upstairs and that he had his Taser drawn. He said Joshua walked out, saw officers and the Taser, went back inside and refused to let police enter. Jacoby said he forced entry and found the man had taken his son to another room and was holding the child.
Police said Joshua King began to fight with officers while still holding the child. Jacoby said that when officers went to take the boy away, Joshua King pushed them and tried to kick them. Orwigsburg Police Patrolman Brandon Bayer shot Joshua King with his Taser but the man pulled out the darts and continued to fight more aggressively. Officers were able to get the child away from him.
Joshua King continued to fight and was shot with a Taser a second time, but also pulled the darts out and ran down the stairs and out of the house, police said.
Jacoby said that, at some point during the fighting in the bedroom, the 18-month-old was struck in the upper left leg with two of the darts from the Taser. Police said the child was evaluated by Schuylkill EMS and taken to an area hospital for further evaluation.
Joshua King ran to a neighboring house and still refused to obey commands, so police shot him a third time with a Taser. He again pulled out the darts and went through a small opening between two buildings. He was found lying in a yard in the area of Skook Auto Sales.
King got up and attempted to run into another house and was shot a fourth time by Penn State Police officer Nicholas Windell, but again pulled out the darts and fled.
Jacoby said officers caught up with King but he enter an unlocked vehicle, threw a full tool box at them and jumped in the driver's seat and locked the doors. Bayer smashed out the driver's side window of the vehicle, but King exited through the passenger's side where Windell Tased him and he was finally subdued.
King is charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault; one felony count each of burglary, criminal trespass and endangering the welfare of children; three misdemeanor counts of simple assault; four misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person; two misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief; and, one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.
He was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $50,000 straight cash bail.
