Harry Boutcher, 68, of North Wales.
A man from North Wales Borough is facing nearly a dozen charges after he allegedly attacked police and first responders who were attempting to assist him with a medical issue.
Harry Boutcher, 68, has been charged with four felony counts of aggravated assault against designated individuals along with three misdemeanor counts of simple assault, one count of resisting arrest, one count of disorderly conduct and related offenses, in connection with the Nov. 17 incident in Upper Gwynedd Township.
He is currently free on $50,000 unsecured bail.
Police were initially dispatched to the area of North Wales Road and Mendham Drive at 4:40 p.m. for a report of a male — later identified as Boutcher — in the roadway who appeared to be in medical distress. Officer Fred Lynch arrived to the scene and spoke with Boutcher, who initially identified himself as “Peter,” and as the conversation continued, Boutcher suddenly lunged at Lynch and began assaulting him, according to court documents.
Police said Lynch told Boutcher to stop resisting, however Boutcher continued the assault, knocking off Lynch’s radio and bodycam. As Lynch continued to wrestle with Boutcher, he requested a bystander pick up and activate the bodycam, as well as use the radio to state, “officer needs assistance,” the report states.
Additional police units who heard the scuffle on the radio responded to the scene, and Lynch was ultimately able to gain control of Boutcher and place him into custody, police said. However, when another officer and a medic brought Boutcher to his feet to evaluate if he had any injuries, Boutcher again became combative and had to be physically restrained by the officer and medic, according to the complaint.
As a result of the incident, Lynch was transported to Grandview Hospital for treatment of a shoulder injury, as well as a possible concussion. In an interview with North Penn Now on Monday, Upper Gwynedd Police Chief David Duffy described Lynch’s shoulder injury as “serious” and stated he has not been cleared to return to duty.
“It is always upsetting when an officer gets assaulted. In this case, it happened very suddenly, as Officer Lynch was trying to help the man,” said Duffy. “Officer Lynch did a great job restraining him quickly, but the damage the subject did also happened quickly. Officer Lynch also did a great job controlling the scene, even after his radio and camera had been violently knocked off.”
Boutcher was arraigned the following morning by District Judge Maurice Saylor, who set bail at $50,000 cash, leading to Boutcher being placed into county jail in lieu of bail. A bail review hearing was held on Monday, however, and Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Henry Hilles III adjusted the bail to $50,000 unsecured, leading to Boutcher’s release.
His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. in front of District Judge Suzan Leonard.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
Woman Arrested After Stealing More Than $1,000 in Merch from Whole Foods, Police Say
Man Arrested After Attempting to Sell Stolen Poodle Back to Owner’s Family
Lansdale Bomb Threat Suspect Claimed He Was Having Mental Health Issues, Court Documents Show
Man Used Expandable Baton to Assault Guests at Halloween Party in Chalfont, Police Say
Woman Arrested After Attempting to Cash Fraudulent Check at Bank in Whitpain, Police Say
