Uniontown man charged with assaulting boyfriend, officer
A Uniontown man allegedly assaulted his boyfriend and cut a Uniontown City Police officer responding to the scene Thursday night.
Uniontown City Police responded to a call for a domestic assault at 112 Pershing Court at about 6 p.m. and found Austin Theodore Staats, 22, coming toward officers with a piece of broken glass raised above his head, according to court documents.
He allegedly cut Officer Jennifer Field in the arm and shoved his boyfriend, Jacob Palya, into a door frame. Officer Jay Hanley grabbed Staats to pull him away from Palya and tackled him. Staats was taken into custody.
Palya reportedly told police Staats was cleaning out the dog kennel, became upset and punched the dog. Staats allegedly threw a microwave and broke a glass that was on top of it. Palya attempted to calm Staats down, and Staats went upstairs, where he punched walls. Palya tried to calm Staats again, police said, and Staats allegedly headbutted him and punched him in the face. Police said Palya had redness and bruising to his eye and a cut on the bridge of his nose.
Field was treated for her injury at Uniontown Hospital.
Staats was charged with three counts each of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person and two counts of simple assault. He was arraigned Thursday night before on-call Magisterial District Judge Richard A. Kasunic II, who set bail at $50,000. Staats remains in Fayette County Prison, unable to post bail. Charges were filed before Magisterial District Judge Michael Metros.