Latest news with #StateCollegePoliceDepartment
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Centre County honors nominees for 2024 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (WTAJ) — From saving lives to solving cold cases, six local officers are being recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty in Centre County. The Centre County District Attorney Office has announced its nominees for the 2024 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award. The annual honor highlights officers who have made significant contributions to public safety through professionalism, compassion and proactive service. Among the nominees is Lt. Charles Hamilton of the State College Police Department, whose leadership of the Criminal Investigations Unit included overseeing more than 79 cases and mentoring colleagues on complex investigations involving death, sexual assault and mental health crises. He also guided the department's Social Worker Program, which continued to grow under his direction in 2024. Officer Lisa Larkin, formerly with Penn State Police and now with Bellefonte Police, was nominated for her skillful handling of domestic and DUI cases. Her investigations led to a conviction of a repeat DUI offender and resolution of a domestic case without requiring the victim to testify in court. Also nominated is Trooper Tyler Prisk of the Pennsylvania State Police, who defused a barricade situation involving a suspect threatening violence. Prisk is also among the top DUI enforcers at the Rockview barracks and frequently appears in court to support prosecution efforts. Detective Nicholas Sproveri of Penn State University Police was recognized for his work in high-profile investigations, including the arrest of a fentanyl dealer in a student overdose case and a 21-year-old rape cold case solved through DNA and genealogical evidence. Patton Township Police Officer Elijah Vardzel was nominated for lifesaving actions in two medical emergencies, his work in organizing a human trafficking sting, and his commitment to following through on complex cases often assigned to detectives. The nominees represent the diverse and critical roles law enforcement plays across Centre County, from frontline response to behind-the-scenes investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fallen officers, K-9s remembered at Centre County memorial ceremony
CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Several emergency agencies gathered at the Centre County Courthouse Wednesday for the Centre County Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony. In part with National Police Week, each name of fallen officers and K-9s across America who died in the line of duty in 2024 was read at the public service. The list included two officers from Pennsylvania. 'Just to bring honor to their names. There's selflessness, the call to duty that, the things they do to keep our community safe while they may be gone. But we don't want to forget that,' State College Police Department Chief John Gardner said. Gardner added that many first responders don't realize how much they're appreciated until events like this occur. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
30-04-2025
- Climate
- New York Times
At Least 4 Die in Pennsylvania as Storm Leaves 400,000 Without Power
At least four people were killed in Pennsylvania on Tuesday and hundreds of thousands of customers were without power after severe weather that had torn across the High Plains and Upper Midwest earlier this week pushed into the Northeast and Canada. A man in Pittsburgh was killed after being electrocuted by live wires, according to the city's Public Safety Department. The man, whose name was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at the scene. Another resident, Raymond Gordon, 67, was returning to his home when he was fatally hit by a tree after it blew over, according to the Ross Township Police Department near Pittsburgh. In Centre County, Pa., a 22-year-old man was also killed after being electrocuted while trying to put out a mulch fire during the severe weather, the State College Police Department said in a statement. In Greene County, Pa., a passenger in a car was killed when a tree fell on top of it, the Pennsylvania State Police said in its statement about weather-related calls. The passenger, Andrew Celaschi, was struck by a falling tree that was blown over by high winds, the authorities said. The National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh said on Wednesday that it had crews in Wilkinsburg, a borough in Allegheny County, Pa., looking for potential tornado damage from Tuesday's severe weather. The service reported that 'a large swath of destructive wind damage' was seen across the area as storms rolled through on Tuesday evening, with gusts as high as 90 mile per hour. The service added that the storms were 'stronger than many of the smaller' tornadoes that the meteorologists 'typically see in this region, but for a much, much wider area.' More than 400,000 customers in Pennsylvania were without power as of Wednesday afternoon, according to which tracks outages nationwide. Duquesne Light Company said that it was working to restore power to customers without service and that some customers could be without service for about five to seven days. The company was requesting assistance from utility partners. The company said that the heavy winds had knocked down trees, broken utility poles and prompted more than 20,000 separate reports of hazards. Officials in Allegheny County, home to Pittsburgh, encouraged residents to stay home as crews with chain saws worked to remove down trees and clear debris from roads on Wednesday. The same system also rolled through southern Quebec in Canada on Tuesday evening, where a teenage boy was in critical condition in Montreal after a tree toppled and pinned him, according to In Quebec, about 49,000 customers were without power on Wednesday afternoon, according The outages came amid severe weather with thunderstorms that whipped up winds and unleashed hail as large as Ping Pong balls. As of Wednesday, a total of 14 tornadoes had been confirmed in a handful of states, with most of those occurring in Wisconsin on Monday, and others reported in Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma and Utah. 'In terms of the overall coverage of tornadoes, it was certainly not as many as it could have been,' said Nathan Wendt, a meteorologist with the Storm Prediction Center at the Weather Service. By Wednesday afternoon, the storm activity had pushed offshore. 'It should be quiet in the Northeast today,' Mr. Wendt said.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Penn State wrestler accused of resisting arrest, trespassing at frat house while drunk
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ) — A 20-year-old man is facing multiple charges after State College police said he trespassed on fraternity property and ran from officers while drunk, according to a criminal complaint filed by the State College Police Department. Braeden Grant Davis, of State College is charged with resisting arrest, evading on foot, defiant trespass, underage possession of alcohol, and public drunkenness stemming from a March 29 incident outside a fraternity house on Prospect Avenue. According to Braeden Davis is a wrestler at Penn State University. According to the criminal complaint, police were dispatched to the frat around 1:35 a.m. after a private security employee reported two men trespassing and causing a disturbance. The employee, hired by the fraternity to control access to the property, told the suspects to leave multiple times but said they refused, according to the criminal complaint. When officers arrived, they observed two men, including one later identified as Davis, returning to the property and arguing with the security team. The complaint states Davis and his friend both appeared to be intoxicated, with bloodshot, glassy eyes and the odor of alcohol on their breath. After Davis asked if he was 'good to leave,' an officer told him he could not leave until he was identified. At that point, Davis allegedly attempted to run and used his friend as a shield. The officer grabbed his jacket, but Davis broke free and ran about 10 yards before being tackled. During the struggle, Davis allegedly resisted arrest and tried to wrestle out of the officer's grip, breaking several items of police equipment, including a wristwatch, radio earpiece, and body-worn camera, which was later recovered from the ground. Eventually, with the help of two other officers, Davis was handcuffed and taken into custody. He was transported to the police station, where a breath test identified alcohol in his system, according to the criminal complaint. Emergency medical services later took Davis to Mount Nittany Medical Center for what police said was an alcohol overdose. Davis is currently not in custody but is awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 21 before Magisterial District Judge Donald M. Hahn, according to court documents. According to the affidavit, a search warrant for Davis' medical records showed a blood alcohol content of .225% at the time of treatment, nearly three times the legal limit for drivers. WTAJ has reached out to Penn State Athletics and are awaiting a comment regarding Davis's current status with the Penn State wrestling program and whether there has been any disciplinary action in light of the charges filed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Thwarted State College school attack meant to coincide with Columbine anniversary
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ) — The alleged planned shooting and bombing at State College High School was scheduled to coincide with the 26th anniversary of the tragic Columbine shooting. Friday night, April 11, members of the State College Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security raided a Milroy home and arrested 20-year-old Braeden Phillips. According to Phillips' criminal complaint, police were tipped off by someone about a possible threat to the State College High School. Through investigating, police found that Phillips confided in a friend about his plans to carry out a shooting, including bombs being placed in bathrooms, for Monday, April 21, one day after the 26th Anniversary of the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999. Police noted that it was planned for the actual anniversary, April 20, but Phillips moved it to Monday after being reminded that the 20th falls on Easter Sunday this year. Arrest made over 'planning an attack' on State College Area High School It's alleged that Phillips has compiled a 'hit list' and was planning to carry out the shooting at 8:40 a.m., the height of morning traffic as school begins for the day, charging documents read. Police allege that a juvenile acquaintance of Phillips was also involved in the plans. An interview of Phillips' friends revealed that Phillips believed the high school 'didn't meet his educational needs and failed him,' the complaint reads. The friend also alleged that Phillips was at his house weeks prior with a handgun that was 'working and operational,' and that Phillips had a 'natural curiosity' when it came to explosives, the complaint was remanded to Centre County Prison with bail denied. At this time, information on charges against the involved juvenile is unknown. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16, at 8:30 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
