Police Reports
These items have been collected from various police departments.
[naviga:h3]Butler Police[/naviga:h3]
11:45 p.m. Monday — Melissa Ofchinick, 42, suffered an apparent overdose at her home on Mercer Street. A 47-year-old man who also lives there called 911 to report the emergency.
Emergency crews administered the opioid antidote Narcan, which revived Ofchinick. She admitted she “shot two bags of heroin,” according to a police report.
She refused further medical treatment. At the scene, the report said, police found a box on the floor that contained a number of empty bags of suspected heroin, 11 syringes and two metal spoons.
10:32 p.m. Monday — A Louisiana man apparently was arrested after he fired a rifle into the air in front of a home on Zeigler Avenue. No one was hurt.
Police did not know why Henry C. Myers, 32, of Denham Springs fired the gun but they believe alcohol was involved.
Officers found Myers standing next to his pickup truck after being called to Zeigler Avenue for a man who reportedly shot a semiautomatic rifle into the air. Another witness told police he also saw the defendant fire the gun and then put it in the truck.
Police noticed an open can of beer on a tool box in the truck bed. They said Myers reeked of alcohol. Police seized the gun — a .300 Blackout — and a magazine loaded with 39 rounds of ammunition.
Myers was arraigned on charges of reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, and later released on $5,000 bail.
4:03 p.m. Monday — Medical crews rescued Matthew P. Zulick, 50, of Butler after he suffered an overdose in his car on Federal Street.
Police said Zulick was found slumped over the steering wheel of the car and unresponsive. He was given a dose of Narcan and regained consciousness.
He initially denied using heroin, according to a police report, but later admitted having “snorted one bag.” He said he was driving to a friend’s house when he apparently overdosed.
He refused to be taken to the hospital for further treatment.
1:11 a.m. Monday — Mitchell J. Ferguson, 29, of Clay Township was caught with drug contraband on Race Street.
City police already knew that state police had an arrest warrant for Ferguson in connection with a Butler County store robbery hours earlier when they spotted him and another man walking down Liberty Street.
The defendant was arrested on the warrant, and searched. Police found a crack pipe and syringe in one of his pockets, according to court
He is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Ferguson is in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail on charges he robbed the Dollar General on Route 8 in Brady Township about 5:15 p.m. Sunday. He stole $213 from a cash register at the store, state police said.
3:27 a.m. Aug. 20 — Police found Jeffrey D. Hay Sr., 54, of Butler with a crack pipe following a traffic stop for driving during suspension at East Brady and North Elm streets.
Hay is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license.
[naviga:h3]Lancaster Twp Police[/naviga:h3]
9:19 p.m. Sunday — A South Carolina man was arrested for drunken driving after another motorist reported a possibly impaired driver on Route 19 near Butler Refrigerated Meats.
Police said they followed the suspect, Brandon R. Cassel, 33, of Summerville, into Zelienople before he eventually turned into a parking lot on Spring Street near South Main Street.
An officer told Cassel to get out of his sport utility vehicle but he could not comply, according to court documents, while keeping “his hands in the air.”
When police approached him, they noted he had a “strong odor” of alcohol on his breath and was “unsteady on his feet.” He refused field sobriety testing and a blood test.
Cassel was arraigned on charges of driving under the influence and careless driving, and released on $5,000 unsecured bail.
Butler County Sheriff’s Office
9:20 a.m. Thursday — Dalton A. Best, 26, of Butler was caught with suspected marijuana and other drug contraband at the Butler County Government Center.
A deputy said he saw Best drop a marijuana grinder and asked the defendant if he had anything else illegal on him. He admitted having marijuana, according to court documents.
Best turned over a pill bottle containing suspected marijuana and a marijuana pipe. He is charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
[naviga:h3]State Police, Butler[/naviga:h3]
Friday — David Lee McCorry, 62, of Clearfield Township was charged with being more than three times the legal limit for alcohol following a traffic stop last month in Summit Township.
A trooper said he was on patrol about 10:50 p.m. July 24 when he first saw McCorry’s pickup truck swerving in and out of his travel lane on Geibel Road. The defendant later turned onto Route 422 east without signaling and sped up before making another illegal lane change.
Police pulled over McCorry on Carbon Center Road. He was subsequently arrested after failing field sobriety tests and taken to ACMH Hospital in Armstrong County for a blood test.
Toxicology reports showed that his blood-alcohol level was 0.267 percent. A level of 0.08 percent is considered intoxicated under state law.
In addition to driving under the influence, McCorry is charged with disregarding traffic lanes, not using turn signals and careless driving.
Aug. 23 — Shawn D. Todd, 31, of Butler was arraigned on charges he tried to illegally buy a firearm at a Summit Township gun store in January.
Police said Todd allegedly provided false information on a federal form that was required Jan. 3 when he attempted to buy a .22-caliber rifle at Sportsman’s Supply.
When his information was entered into the Pennsylvania Instant Check system, an automated system by which gun dealers can determine if someone can legally buy a gun in the state, he was denied the purchase.
Todd is charged with unlawfully attempting to buy a firearm, a felony, and unsworn falsification to authorities, a misdemeanor. He was released on his own recognizance following arraignment.
Aug. 23 — Jay K. Shilling, 52, of East Butler was charged with having drug contraband stemming from a May incident in Oakland Township. Police said they found Shilling asleep in a car on the side of Lake Road at Hoon Road.
A trooper smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and the defendant admitted having earlier smoked the drug, according to court documents. Police found a suspected marijuana pipe in one of his pants pockets.
A search of the car turned up more unspecified contraband. Shilling is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Aug. 21 — Randy J. Perkins, 26, of Adams Township was charged with drugged driving in connection with a traffic stop earlier this month on Route 228 in Middlesex Township. Police said they stopped him about 12:30 a.m. Aug. 7 for having a burned out headlight.
The defendant appeared impaired on drugs, according to court documents, and he admitted that he had marijuana in his car. He turned over suspected marijuana as well as a marijuana grinder and smoking pipe.
Perkins was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital for a blood test, documents said, which confirmed the presence of marijuana. He is charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
[naviga:h3]State Police, Clarion [/naviga:h3]
2:45 p.m. Sunday — A Butler County man was hurt when he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed on Traister Road in Madison Township.
Carl D. Caporali, 72, of Saxonburg, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh with unknown injuries. The Rimersburg Volunteer Fire Department assisted at the scene.
[naviga:h3]State Police, Kittanning[/naviga:h3]
Saturday — An unknown burglar broke into an elderly man’s home in South Buffalo Township and made off with unspecified items.
The break-in on Ford City Road occurred between 3:20 and 5:30 p.m. Police said the 84-year-old victim was only able to identify “minimal items” that were stolen.