A Hatfield man is facing felony charges after he allegedly struck a vehicle with a trash can multiple times, then assaulted a police officer who responded to the scene.
According to the criminal complaint, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of Needham Circle on Sept. 17 at 1:37 p.m. for a report of a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, police witnessed a man—later identified as 35-year-old Hiren Patel—pick up a trash can and repeatedly strike his neighbor’s Hyundai Sonata, causing damage to the windshield, hood, front bumper, front passenger side fender, front passenger side door, rear passenger side door, rear passenger side fender, rear bumper, trunk and tail lights, the report states.
Damage to the vehicle was determined to be approximately $5,500, police said.
Patel was then taken into custody, but once placed in the rear of the vehicle, he began to complain that his handcuffs were too tight, police said. Patel was then removed from the vehicle so police could examine the fit of the cuffs, at which point he allegedly tried to flee on foot, but was immediately stopped, according to the complaint.
Patel then allegedly kicked a female officer in the upper thigh, and attempted a second kick but failed to make contact, police said. The report states that Patel began to aggressively target nearby officers, kicking wildly but failing to make additional contact. He was then again placed into the rear of the vehicle, according to the complaint.
As a result of the incident, Patel has been charged with one felony count of aggravated assault and one felony count of criminal mischief-damage to property. Patel was arraigned on Oct. 8 by Magisterial District Judge John Kessler, who set bail at $10,000 cash. He was briefly remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, but was bailed out the following day.
Charges against Patel were held over during his preliminary hearing in front of Magisterial District Judge Andrea Duffy on Thursday morning, and his next court appearance is a formal arraignment at the Montgomery County Court House on Dec. 11 at 9:30 a.m.
(Editor’s note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause, and reflects the point of view of the police. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
See also:
Awaiting Hearing On Child Porn Charges, Man Charged With DUI After Crashing Car
Undercover Prostitution Sting Leads To Four Arrests In Montgomery Township
Man Who Crashed Motorcycle During Police Chase Identified, Charged With DUI
Towamencin Man Charged In Connection With Fatal Overdose Of Souderton Woman
Man Steals From Hatfield 7-Eleven Three Times In Three Hours, Arrested On Fourth Attempt: Police
