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Defending Child is Terrorism
April 21, 2010 permalink
A Pennsylvania man, unhappy with the caseworker who took his child, expressed his displeasure in words. There is nothing about physical violence in the news report. For this he is accused of being a terrorist.
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Meadville man facing trial on charges of threatening CYS worker
MEADVILLE -- A man accused of assaulting police and threatening a caseworker over a child custody issue could face even more charges at trial.
Arnold E. Johnson, 54, of the 500 block of Pine Street, Meadville, will face trial on charges of threatening a Crawford County Children and Youth Services worker. He waived his preliminary hearing on misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats and harassment after his Greensburg lawyer was unable to attend the hearing before Vernon Township District Judge Michael Rossi on Tuesday morning.
Johnson's formal arraignment was set for May 21.
Vernon Township police accused Johnson of making threatening remarks to a CYS official at the Crawford County Human Services offices in Vernon Township on Feb. 2.
Johnson said Tuesday that the only threat he made to the official was to tell him that he would hold the official accountable for anything that happened to a child who was placed in custody.
The child, Johnson's relative, was taken from his home in June. It was during that incident that Meadville police accused Johnson of threatening people who had come for the child, and fighting with officers who tried to place him under arrest.
Johnson accused police of attacking and severely beating him without warning as he tried to pick up the child.
Meadville police charged Johnson with a felony count of aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, obstructing administration of law and terroristic threats in the June incident.
Johnson's initial trial in January was stopped because of health issues that Johnson said he was experiencing.
TIM HAHN can be reached at 392-7821 or by e-mail.
Source: Erie Times-News
