Greensburg will be looking for a new police officer following the resignation of a former dog handler who is awaiting trial on simple assault and harassment charges.
Council on Monday approved the resignation of Kenneth J. Burke, 36, of Greensburg, who had been on unpaid leave while the charges against him moved forward in Westmoreland County Court.
City Solicitor Zachary Kansler said Greensburg council likely will select a replacement for Burke in July.
County detectives filed charges in July 2022 against Burke, stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident at his home.
According to court documents, a woman who had known Burke for a few months told detectives that he began yelling at her because he believed she gave his cell phone number to a person he didn’t know.
The woman said Burke placed her in a choke hold and threw her to the ground before she was able to escape, case documents indicate. Detectives noted the woman had several injuries.
A additional strangulation charge was dismissed, according to online court records, which indicate a trial in the case is scheduled for Aug. 7.
Burke remains free on $10,000 unsecured bail.
He became a police dog handler in 2021 after being hired by Greensburg in 2017. A former sergeant with Ligonier’s police force, he also was a member of a Westmoreland County SWAT Team.
Council on Monday also took steps to purchase three replacement police vehicles.
It agreed to buy a 2023 Ford Police Interceptor to take the place of an older model police vehicle that was scheduled for replacement.
To cover the cost of $37,680, obtained through a state bidding program, the city will draw upon a nearly $1.1 million note. The note was issued early in 2022, to help make up for parking revenue lost through shuttering the deteriorating J. Edward Hutchinson garage.
Greensburg also is buying two used police vehicles — a 2017 Ford Taurus Interceptor, for $15,000, and a 2017 Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle, for $16,500 — from Castle Shannon.
Mayor Robb Bell said the Taurus will replace an older vehicle used by a department detective, while the Explorer will replace a vehicle totaled in an April 21 in a police chase through downtown Greensburg. The cost of the Explorer will be covered by an insurance settlement the city received for the unit that was totaled.
The Greensburg police vehicle collided with another from Southwest Greensburg during a pursuit of a driver who fled from an attempted traffic stop during an aggressive driving enforcement operation, according to court documents.
The suspect was apprehended after driving through red lights, hitting a parked vehicle and then fleeing on foot, case documents indicate.
No officers were injured during the incident, Bell said.
