A Towamencin Township man is facing felony aggravated assault and retail theft charges after he allegedly stole multiple items from the Walmart on Bethlehem Pike and then threatened to kill responding police officers.
David Dudgeon, 31, of the 1000 block of Snyder Road, has been charged with felony retail theft and aggravated assault – attempts to cause bodily injury to designated individuals, along with misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and defiant trespass, in connection with the July 14 incident.
Court records indicate that Dudgeon was officially charged on Aug. 4. He was subsequently taken into custody and arraigned on Aug. 16.
According to the criminal complaint, police were dispatched to the 1500 block of Bethlehem Pike at 10:27 p.m. for a report of a domestic disturbance at Walmart. While enroute, Bucks County Dispatch relayed that the 9-1-1 caller reported that his 31-year-old son — identified as Dudgeon — was hitting him and acting aggressively, the report states.
The victim told dispatch that he was sitting in a dark blue Ford truck in the parking lot.
Upon arrival, police were flagged down by a bystander who stated that he had witnessed Dudgeon stealing items from Walmart and placing them in the blue pick up truck, police said. Police then located Dudgeon in the parking lot as he was walking back into the store, according to the complaint.
Police issued multiple orders for Dudgeon to stop, but he responded with profanity and by pointing “finger-guns” at police, the report states. Dudgeon also screamed “I’ll kill you” in response to the orders from police, according to the complaint, before walking back into the store.
Responding officers made contact with Dudgeon inside of the store, at which point Dudgeon resisted arrest and spit in the face of two officers, according to the complaint. Police then took Dudgeon to the ground in an attempt to take him into custody, at which point he bit one of the officers in the right arm, police said.
After getting Dudgeon handcuffed, he reportedly spit into a third officer’s was he was being placed into the rear of a patrol vehicle, police said. He also bit another officer in the arm, however police were able to secure Dudgeon in the vehicle afterwards, according to the complaint.
Investigators determined that Dudgeon had stolen 11 items from Walmart, valued at $548.98, the report states. Further investigation determined that Dudgeon had previously trespassed at Walmart during a retail theft in July 2010.
The retail theft charge was upgraded to a felony due to Dudgeon having two prior convictions for retail theft, court records show.
Dudgeon is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on Sept. 28 at 3:45 p.m. in front of District Judge Regina Armitage.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
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