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| Ernest Tkac |
A Lower Makefield man who police stunned six times with a stun gun after he allegedly attacked his caretaker and then three police officers nearly a year ago is headed to trial.
Ernest Tkac, who turned 69 this month, waived charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangering and resisting arrest Tuesday before Morrisville District Judge Michael Burns. Now his case heads to Bucks County Court in Doylestown.
The District Attorney’s Office withdrew three other aggravated assault charges and a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge.
Lower Makefield police allege that Tkac, whom they say is a diagnosed schizophrenic, attacked his live-in caretaker about 5 a.m. Nov. 9 causing facial injuries.
When police arrived at Tkac’s home in the first block of Rita Road for a domestic call, they heard a man inside yelling and recognized the voice as Tkac’s from a previous call at the same address.
After a police officer knocked on the locked front door, identifying himself as police, the door suddenly swung open and Tkac allegedly charged at him, hitting him in the back of the neck with his forearm and pushing him down the steps.
Tkac then fell to the ground after another officer shot him with a stun gun in the upper shoulder and lower back, according to a probable cause affidavit. A few seconds later he got up again. A third officer joined the other two in attempting to take Tkac into custody, but he still fought, police said.
Tkac began flailing his arms and legs when the officers attempted to cuff him, police said. He rolled onto his stomach and tucked his arms and hands under his body.
He was again stunned but continued to resist attempts to take him into custody, keeping his hands and arms tucked under his body so police were unable to gain control of his wrists, police said.
After being stunned a third time, Tkac rolled himself onto a flowerbed and downhill, breaking away the stun gun wires, according to court documents. Tkac got to his feet and ran down a driveway and into the street.
A police officer chased after him and fired the stun gun a fourth time, striking Tkac in the back, court documents show. Tkac fell face first in the front yard of his home but still fought off police, they said.
So the stun gun was used a fifth time and police finally got the handcuffs on Tkac’s wrists but could not bring Tkac’s arms behind his back, the affidavit shows.
Once Tkac was stunned a sixth time, officers immediately pulled his arms to the back and took him into custody, according to court documents.
During the struggling with Tkac, one police officer broke his right finger, and two other officers had numerous scratches on their hands, police said.
Tkac was admitted to Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol Township for an evaluation, police said. He’s now in Bucks County prison in lieu of 10 percent of $50,000 bail.
Jo Ciavaglia: 215-949-4181; email: jciavaglia@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @jociavaglia
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