PITTSBURGH (KDKA Radio) — A Pennsylvania state trooper has been charged with felony strangulation and several misdemeanors related to allegations that he used his position in law enforcement to restrain and involuntarily commit an ex-girlfriend to a psychiatric facility.
Ronald Davis, 37, is also charged with unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, simple assault, official oppression and recklessly endangering another person. The charges stem from Aug. 21, when he petitioned for an involuntary mental health commitment for his ex-girlfriend, saying she was suicidal based on text messages he received.
Davis then used the approved commitment document to restrain her without authorization from his supervisor, according to a police affidavit.
A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police said Monday that Davis was suspended without pay after the charges were filed on Thursday.
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Jay Nigrini, an attorney for Davis, claims he was trying to help a troubled young woman.
“We are confident once all of the facts come to light, Mr. Davis committed no crime but was seeking to protect a troubled young woman who was in need of immediate medical attention,” he said in a phone interview Monday.
Nigrini said he was troubled by Davis being denied bail and had filed a motion to get him released on bail.
The Dauphin County District Attorney says they have video evidence of the alleged use of force.
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Davis located the woman and did not explain to her why she was being restrained, leading to a physical altercation in which he drove her to the ground and subdued her, according to the charging documents.
The charging documents state also that the text messages Davis used to secure the official documentation were part of a larger context that “revealed her frustration with Trooper Davis and his controlling behavior (and her desire to break off the relationship), not a true desire to harm herself.”
Trooper Davis' omission was critical in the securing of the Involuntary Mental Health Commitment, the affidavit said.
The ex-girlfriend spent 72 hours in a psychiatric facility.
Davis has been a state trooper since 2015 and is stationed in Jonestown, Pennsylvania.