NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A Montgomery County man has been ordered to stand trial after allegedly injuring Plymouth Township police officers with his SUV last fall. Fellow officers showed up to the defendant’s preliminary hearing on Wednesday to show support for their injured colleagues.
Dalton Janiczek, 22, waived his preliminary hearing on charges that include attempted murder of a law enforcement official and multiple counts of aggravated assault.
Janiczek was accused of repeatedly ramming a Plymouth Township police vehicle with his Mercedes G-Wagon on Oct. 24. When the officer got out of the vehicle, Janiczek allegedly struck the driver. Officials said he then circled around and ran the officer over three more times, including while that officer was applying a tourniquet to his own leg.
Prosecutors said he drove out of the parking lot after that and slammed head-on into another police car, injuring that officer as well.
More than two dozen Plymouth Township police officers lined up to show support for the injured officers as Janiczek was led into the courtroom.
“These types of things take a toll on our officers and their families … and we have to stick together,” said Police Chief John Myrsiades. “They need to know that we're going to see everyone through this.”
Police looked for Janiczek’s vehicle that day, as they said he called 911 earlier and claimed he was going to bomb a police station, then refused to stop multiple times when Whitpain Township police tried to pull him over for erratic driving.
The two officers seriously hurt remain out due to their injuries. “They have a long road ahead, but they're in good spirits, and they want to come back,” said Myrsiades.
“Then there's the other officers that were present, or their squad members, or they've gone through other traumatic events, and they're also healing themselves, but everyone's doing well and coming together slowly.”
Janiczek’s formal arraignment is scheduled for May 27.
