Crime & Safety

Palmer Township Man Tasered

Palmer Township Police say man resisted arrest Tuesday night.

police used a on a township man who allegedly resisted arrest during a protection-from-abuse-order violation call Tuesday night.

It was the second time Palmer police have used Tasers since they received the weapons.

According to court records, police were called to the home of Wilfredo Rosario Ortiz around 7:30 p.m. after he allegedly violated a protection from abuse order filed by his girlfriend.

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Police say Ortiz, 30, of 3643 Southwood Drive, was backing out of the driveway when officers arrived.

The officers asked him to get out of the car, and he wouldn't budge.

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Ortiz refused to move his arms as officers tried to handcuff him, despite warnings that they would use a Taser on him.

After Ortiz kept refusing, he was shocked twice with the Taser on his right thigh, police said.

Officers noticed he smelled of alcohol, was slurring his speech and had bloodshot eyes. Court records say police saw a half-empty vodka bottle in his car.

Ortiz is charged with DUI, defiant trespass and resisting arrest. He is also charged in a separate case with violating the PFA, which had been served early in the day. It alleges he was verbally and physically abusive toward his girlfriend.

The PFA mentions a previous incident from 2010 in which, taking the wheel from his girlfriend and crashing her car into a utility pole on S. Fourth Street.

Ortiz was arraigned before District Judge Daniel Corpora and sent to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $10,000 bail.


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