New Kensington officer hurt in traffic stop

A New Kensington police officer was hurt after authorities said a man punched him in the head during a traffic stop Saturday night.

Anthony T. Swann, 57, of Homewood assaulted Officer Tyler C. Balla during the stop at the city’s Freeport Road and Elizabeth Street, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.

Balla suffered a contusion to his face with a hemorrhage to his left eye, the complaint said.

The complaint said Swann was a passenger in an SUV that Balla observed shortly after 9 p.m. with a nonworking right brake light in the 400 block of Freeport Street. Balla was patrolling the area in a marked vehicle because of known drug activity.

Police learned the SUV’s registration expired in November, the complaint said. Balla stopped the SUV on Freeport Road after it made a brief stop at a Valero gas station on Seventh Street, police said.

Strong odors of alcohol and marijuana were coming from inside the vehicle, according to the complaint. The driver asked to make a phone call to get his insurance information, police said.

The driver is named in the complaint, but no charges against him were found Monday in court records.

As Balla was talking with the driver, Swann, who was in the front passenger seat, became argumentative, the complaint said. Swann claimed he did not have to give Balla his identification, despite the officer saying he was going to be cited for not wearing a seat belt, police said.

Balla asked Swann to get out of the SUV and patted him down for weapons, the complaint said. While Balla was standing with Swann in front of his patrol vehicle and another officer spoke with the driver, a car driven by a woman pulled into the Walker Funeral Home parking lot at high speed, police said.

The woman also is named in the complaint, but court records showed no charges against her Monday.

In the complaint, Balla said the woman began shouting profanities at him and, against orders, crossed Freeport Road and approached him “aggressively,” meeting him “chest to chest.”

As Balla tried to arrest the woman for obstruction, Swann clenched his fists and squared up with the officer, the complaint said. Balla had a Taser pointed at Swann and discharged it, but it missed as Swann knocked it out of Balla’s hand, according to the complaint.

Swann hit Balla in the left eye with a right-hand punch and tried to throw more punches as Balla and the other officer at the scene took him to the ground, the complaint said.

A lengthy struggle ensued on the ground as Balla tried to handcuff Swann, according to the complaint. Swann landed a punch on Balla’s left ear and began to grab and pull at the neck and collar of his vest, dislodging Balla’s radio, police said.

In the complaint, Balla wrote that he hit Swann about twice in the face before Swann was handcuffed on the sidewalk.

When Balla went to arrest the woman, he wrote in the complaint, she ran around her car and across Freeport Road. Balla caught up with her and took her to the ground as she resisted being handcuffed by kicking her legs and thrashing her arms, police said.

A police dog was used to subdue the woman, the complaint states. She was taken to a hospital after claiming to be pregnant, police said.

Swann, who had bleeding and swelling on his face and complained of a right leg injury, was taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital for evaluation, according to the complaint.

Balla also was checked at the hospital for the injuries to his face and eye, police said.

Swann’s charges include felony counts of aggravated assault and disarming a police officer, misdemeanor counts of simple assault and resisting arrest, and summary offenses of public drunkenness and failing to use a safety belt.

Swann was denied bail when he was arraigned Sunday morning and was sent to the Westmoreland County jail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 25.