Mt. Pleasant suspect allegedly tried to choke officer

A Mt. Pleasant man was jailed Monday, accused of attempting to choke assistant police Chief Dan Zilli at the police station after he was taken there Sunday after a domestic assault complaint.

Zachery D. Kimmick, 25, was arraigned on charges of simple assault, harassment, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, making terroristic threats, resisting arrest, institutional vandalism, criminal mischief and assault on a law enforcement officer after police were called to a residence on the 400 block of Howard Street about 7 p.m. Sunday.

Officer Jacob Cavanaugh said a woman at the scene told officers that Kimmick choked and threatened her when she refused to drive him somewhere.

Cavanaugh said another witness at the residence reported to police that she saw Kimmick throw the woman to the floor after choking her.

Relatives of the woman told police when they arrived, Kimmick was outside yelling and punching the woman's car. Witnesses said Kimmick had threatened the female with a knife.

Cavanaugh said he put Kimmick in handcuffs at the scene and held him in the back seat of the police cruiser while he took statements from witnesses.

“After getting all the information, I returned to the car ... told Kimmick that he was under arrest for simple assault and other charges,” Cavanaugh wrote.

“Kimmick became very angry and started kicking the door of the police cruiser,” Cavanaugh wrote. Kimmick eventually kicked out a side rear window.

Cavanaugh said Kimmick became combative again at the police station and attempted to choke Zilli.

Once he was put in the holding cell, Kimmick continued to threaten Zilli, the officer said.

“Kimmick did make threats to Zilli that, when he gets out of prison, he will find him and assault him,” Cavanaugh wrote.

Neither the female victim nor Zilli required medical treatment, according to reports.

Kimmick was taken to Excela Health Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant for examination before he was arraigned Monday morning before Norvelt District Judge Roger Eckels. Eckels ordered Kimmick to the county jail after he failed to post $30,000 bond, pending a preliminary hearing Dec. 17.

Paul Peirce is a reporter for Trib Total Media. He can be reached atppeirce@tribweb.com or 724-850-2860.