Man charged with assault on deputy at Williamsport convenience store

March 26, 2008

WILLIAMSPORT -- What started with a man refusing to pay his cab fare early Tuesday ended with the man being charged with assaulting a Washington County Sheriff's deputy.

The incident drew deputies to the Sheetz convenience store, 100 E. Potomac St., Williamsport, at 2:38 a.m. Tuesday.

Once there, Deputies Joel Footen and Benjamin Jones encountered Timothy Kevin Stotler in the parking lot in a dispute with a cab driver over an unpaid fare.

Observed to be loud and disorderly and appearing to be highly intoxicated, Stotler was told to pay the cab fare and he complied, deputies said in a written press release.

Stotler then entered the store and was told by store employees to leave because of the way he was acting, deputies said. Footen was escorting Stotler from the store when the man allegedly punched the officer in the face.

Footen struck back, deputies said, and Jones then used a Taser on Stotler which disabled him. He was placed in custody without further incident, deputies said.

Stotler, 28, of 16725 Aqueduct Drive, Williamsport, was taken to Washington County Hospital where the Taser probes were removed.

Later Stotler was charged with one count each of assault on a police officer, second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, deputies said.

Stotler was released from the Washington County Detention Center at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday after posting $12,500 bail, deputies said.

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