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A man was arrested last month for beating his wife over the head with a shovel and a broom, in what police were told was just his latest assault against her.
Officer Jeffrey Arthur, along with Sgt. Brian Bognatz, were dispatched to the residence of Thomas and Laurie Bern, 45 Park St., on a report that he was assaulting her in the front yard of their residence at 4:37 p.m. on Jan. 31.
When they arrived, according to the affidavit, they went to the front door and saw Mrs. Bern, 47, inside the residence.
Officer Arthur asked her about the report and she replied, “That’s right, he beat the [crap] out of me again.”
She stated that her husband hit her over the head with a shovel and a broom while he was in an intoxicated condition. Then she pointed to the shovel and broom which were left in the front yard, where the assault took place.
She told the officers that her husband was in the house and she tried to let them inside, but Mr. Bern, 41, had the door locked and refused to allow her to open it.
Arthur told him that he needed to talk to him, so Mr. Bern walked over to the door and cracked it open just slightly, telling the officers that he owned the house and they couldn’t enter it. As he did, Mrs. Bern pushed the door wide open and Arthur grabbed Mr. Bern, then Arthur and Sgt. Bognatz pulled him outside the house and took him into custody.
Mrs. Bern provided police with paperwork showing that she had an active PFA (Protection From Abuse) order filed against Mr. Bern, which allows him to live in the house but forbids him to hit or harass her. Under the court order, Mr. Bern had also been instructed to make an appointment with Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services by Sept. 30 of last year or be held in contempt of court.
When asked if he had followed through on that directive, Mrs. Bern told the officers that he never did.
“He gets drunk all the time and [urinates on] himself,” she stated, explaining that was the reason for the assault that day.
A neighbor who was interviewed told Arthur that she witnessed the assault in the front yard and said the abuse by Mr. Bern against his wife “goes on all the time.”
Mr. Bern was transported to police headquarters and arrested on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, disorderly conduct, harassment, and public drunkenness.
He was remanded to Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Officer Arthur filed the affidavit.
A man was arrested last month for beating his wife over the head with a shovel and a broom, in what police were told was just his latest assault against her.
Officer Jeffrey Arthur, along with Sgt. Brian Bognatz, were dispatched to the residence of Thomas and Laurie Bern, 45 Park St., on a report that he was assaulting her in the front yard of their residence at 4:37 p.m. on Jan. 31.
When they arrived, according to the affidavit, they went to the front door and saw Mrs. Bern, 47, inside the residence.
Officer Arthur asked her about the report and she replied, “That’s right, he beat the [crap] out of me again.”
She stated that her husband hit her over the head with a shovel and a broom while he was in an intoxicated condition. Then she pointed to the shovel and broom which were left in the front yard, where the assault took place.
She told the officers that her husband was in the house and she tried to let them inside, but Mr. Bern, 41, had the door locked and refused to allow her to open it.
Arthur told him that he needed to talk to him, so Mr. Bern walked over to the door and cracked it open just slightly, telling the officers that he owned the house and they couldn’t enter it. As he did, Mrs. Bern pushed the door wide open and Arthur grabbed Mr. Bern, then Arthur and Sgt. Bognatz pulled him outside the house and took him into custody.
Mrs. Bern provided police with paperwork showing that she had an active PFA (Protection From Abuse) order filed against Mr. Bern, which allows him to live in the house but forbids him to hit or harass her. Under the court order, Mr. Bern had also been instructed to make an appointment with Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services by Sept. 30 of last year or be held in contempt of court.
When asked if he had followed through on that directive, Mrs. Bern told the officers that he never did.
“He gets drunk all the time and [urinates on] himself,” she stated, explaining that was the reason for the assault that day.
A neighbor who was interviewed told Arthur that she witnessed the assault in the front yard and said the abuse by Mr. Bern against his wife “goes on all the time.”
Mr. Bern was transported to police headquarters and arrested on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, disorderly conduct, harassment, and public drunkenness.
He was remanded to Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Officer Arthur filed the affidavit.
