Police tase man holding golf club after foot chase in Pittsburgh-area community
SCOTTDALE, Pa. (KDKA) -- A man holding a golf club is accused of running away from police in Westmoreland County, leading them through the woods, across athletic fields, over a creek, through a construction yard and onto train tracks before police caught up and used a taser on him.
Pennsylvania State Police said a sergeant was on patrol around 1:30 p.m. last Thursday when he saw two men, one of them with blood on his face, on the side of Mount Pleasant Road near Seventh Street in the borough of Scottdale. Twenty-nine-year-old Joshua Bennett of Scottdale was on the other side of the road holding a golf club and arguing with the other men, police said.
As the sergeant left his patrol vehicle to investigate, police said Bennett immediately ran away and continued to run, ignoring commands.
The foot chase continued along Mount Pleasant Road, through a wooded area and across multiple athletic fields at Kendi Park before Bennett crossed Jacobs Creek, police said.
At that point, the sergeant got back in his vehicle and repositioned on the opposite side of Jacobs Creek where he saw Bennett making his way through a construction yard and onto nearby train tracks.
The sergeant told him to stop and drop the golf club but police said Bennett didn't listen. The sergeant used his taser on Bennett, and Bennett fell to the ground and dropped the golf club.
Bennett was arrested and police learned he had multiple active arrest warrants in Westmoreland County. He also had suspected drugs on him when he was arrested, police said.
He was taken to state police's Greensburg station and was fingerprinted before he was taken to the Westmoreland County Prison. He's facing several charges, including possession of a controlled substance, flight to avoid apprehension and resisting arrest.