Aggravated assault of officer charge dropped
EVANS CITY — The most serious charge has been withdrawn against a Beaver County woman who police said kicked an officer following her arrest for drunken driving.
But Germaine F. Snyder-Davies, 50, of Fombell still faces a felony charge for allegedly driving under the influence with her infant grandson in a sport utility last month in Jackson Township.
Prosecutors at Snyder-Davies' scheduled preliminary hearing Tuesday before District Judge Wayne Seibel in Evans City agreed to withdraw a charge of aggravated assault, a second-degree felony.
In place of that charge, they added a count of simple assault, a misdemeanor.
Snyder-Davies subsequently waived that charge as well as two others — child endangerment, a third-degree felony, and DUI, a misdemeanor. She also is facing three traffic violations.
“We were just asking for some leniency,” Snyder-Davies' attorney, Adam Bishop of Pittsburgh, said following the proceedings. “She's not a bad person. She just certainly had a bad day there and made a questionable decision.”
Jackson Township police arrested Bishop's client after a traffic stop Nov. 11 on High Acres Road. Police said they initially were called around 12:45 p.m. to the area of Northgate Plaza for a suspected intoxicated driver. Patrolman Zeke Reed eventually saw the suspect on Route 19 weaving in a sport utility vehicle.
Snyder-Davies also crossed the center line, police said, and at one point nearly struck an oncoming vehicle.
The officer pulled the driver over. When he got to her vehicle, according to charging documents, he noticed a young child who was unsecured in a safety seat. Police said they determined the 1-year-old child was the defendant's grandson.
Snyder-Davies failed two field sobriety tests and refused to take another one, documents said. She was taken to the police station and placed in a temporary holding area to await processing. “While attempting to secure the defendant,” documents said, “she kicked Officer Christopher Miller in the left upper leg/thigh area.” Miller was not injured.
“She doesn't remember the kick,” Bishop said. “I don't even think it was intentional.”
Following Tuesday's proceedings, Amanda Scarpo, a county assistant district attorney, declined to comment about the decision to withdraw the felony assault charge. Bishop called the decision “a satisfactory result at this level.”
Snyder-Davies remains free on $10,000 bail. She is required to wear a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor, an ankle bracelet that immediately alerts law enforcement and probation and parole officers when the person wearing the device consumes alcohol.
