A Robinson Township police officer is awaiting a preliminary hearing later this month to determine if he must stand trial on charges of aggravated assault and simple assault in connection with an incident that occurred while he was off duty on July 2.
Steven Paul Pies, 50, was arraigned Wednesday on the two charges – one of which is a felony – and was released on unsecured bail. His preliminary hearing is set for 10 a.m. Aug. 26, but it hasn’t been determined where that hearing will take place.
Pies, who was placed on paid administrative leave July 3, is also scheduled to have what’s known as a Loudermill hearing early next week. There, he will receive the opportunity to respond to the charges as they pertain to his employment status.
Township Solicitor Jack Cambest said that the Loudermill hearing will help the township determine if it will take further disciplinary action against Pies.
According to an affidavit of probable cause that is part of a criminal complaint filed by Allegheny County Police Detective Lt. Venerando Costa, Alan Cannella told Robinson Township police on July 8 that he was the victim of an assault that occurred at 60 Forest Grove Road following a traffic incident at the intersection of Forest Grove Road and State Route 51.
The affidavit states that Cannella had contacted his doctor on July 7 because he was experiencing side pain, and X-rays showed that he had two fractured ribs and a possible third rib fracture. That prompted Cannella to report the incident to Robinson police, who began their investigation.
A week later, the affidavit states, Cannella told a Robinson police detective he believed Pies was the suspect. At that point, Robinson police turned the investigation over to county police.
In a July 16 interview, Cannella told Costa that between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on July 2, he was driving to his business – Al’s Service, also known as Al’s Texaco — to pick up some belongings when he inadvertently went through a yield sign while turning right onto Forest Grove Road from State Route 51. According to the affidavit, Cannella told Costa he saw a white Dodge Ram pickup truck turning left on Forest Grove Road, and Cannella sounded his horn before maneuvering around the Dodge Ram, believing the driver of that vehicle was in the wrong.
The affidavit states that Cannella told Costa he proceeded along Forest Grove Road for about two miles and pulled into his business’ parking lot. Cannella told Costa that the Dodge Ram followed him into the parking lot and that both he and the driver of the Ram exited their vehicles.
According to the affidavit, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Pies began yelling at Cannella for failing to obey the yield sign. When Cannella did not respond, the affidavit states, Pies punched Cannella in the jaw, causing him to fall backward into his truck and lose consciousness.
Cannella told Costa that later he was driving around the area and spotted a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle involved in the July 2 incident.
Eventually, through witness interviews, the use of video and audio obtained through a doorbell camera across the street from Al’s Service and a photo posted on social media, investigators determined there was probable cause to charge Pies with felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor simple assault.
Be First to Comment