Pennsylvania cop facing jail for ‘improperly committing his ex to a mental health facility’ (VIDEO)

A Pennsylvania State Police officer, Ronald Keith Davis, aged 37, has been arrested on September 21 and is now facing charges of felony strangulation and false imprisonment. It is alleged that he unlawfully detained his former girlfriend by employing a ‘wrestling-style hold’ and subsequently committed her to a mental health facility under false pretenses.

The accused, who is married and has children, is believed to have abused his position of authority in order to have his girlfriend, with whom he had been in a relationship for four months, involuntarily confined in a medical facility against her will. This was done by submitting a petition for her mental health commitment, claiming that she posed a risk to herself, as stated in the affidavit of probable cause.

On August 21st, Davis enlisted the assistance of his fellow troopers and reported that a woman, identified as M.F. by the district attorney but whose full name was revealed in the affidavit, was residing in a camper on his property. The trooper indicated that their relationship had become strained and was in a state of decline.

The individual asserted that he was withholding the woman’s personal effects from the premises due to her erratic behavior. In support of his assertion, he presented a series of text messages, including those containing statements such as ‘I am contemplating driving off a cliff’ and ‘My mental well-being is of no consequence; I am a worthless, ignorant, and inept individual.’

In accordance with guidance from the state police, Davis utilized his official police email account to contact county officials and identify himself as a trooper in order to obtain an order of involuntary commitment. It is important to note that Davis was off-duty at the time.

While Davis pursued the aforementioned order, law enforcement officers were dispatched to conduct a welfare check on the victim. Despite their efforts to locate her, they were unable to find her at three different locations.

According to the sworn statement, Davis acquired the necessary form and made the statement, “I’ll take care of it myself,” before departing from the police station.

Accompanied by an individual not affiliated with law enforcement, referred to as a “civilian companion,” Davis proceeded to track down the woman at the Pennsylvania State Game Lands in Weiser State Forest. His intention was to transport her to his vehicle, but she resisted and engaged in a physical altercation.

A video released by the district attorney’s office depicts the victim, visibly covered in dirt and significantly smaller in stature compared to Davis, nearly breaking free from his grasp. As she attempts to regain her footing, Davis forcefully brings her down to the ground by pulling her legs out from under her. In an effort to defend herself, she strikes him, but Davis manages to subdue her using a “wrestling-style hold.”

The victim repeatedly expresses her inability to breathe, as documented in the sworn statement.

Upon the arrival of law enforcement, the victim’s injuries were documented, and she was subsequently transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuykill for a comprehensive evaluation.

Subsequently, Davis was interviewed by the police. According to the affidavit, he reiterated that the woman had been sending text messages expressing her desire to end her life, along with derogatory remarks about herself. He also mentioned that she had been avoiding his calls.

However, Davis failed to address the issue of the “methods of control” that were used on his ex-girlfriend, resulting in injuries to various parts of her body, including her forehead, torso, back, buttocks, forearms, knee, and lower body.

The affidavit further noted that the woman seemed genuinely unaware of the reasons behind her restraint.

Upon her arrival at the hospital, M.F. was initially held for a period of 72 hours. An officer contacted the hospital to confirm the validity of the involuntary mental health commitment, and it was confirmed to be in effect.

Subsequently, the woman’s commitment was extended for an additional two days. Throughout the nearly week-long period of her confinement, she did not exhibit any signs of suicidal ideation.

On August 26, she was released and subsequently interviewed by the police, during which she presented a contrasting account of the events.

According to her statement, the incident originated from a domestic argument on August 19, as outlined in the affidavit. She described a four-month-long relationship characterized by differing ideological opinions and imbalances in their respective roles within the relationship.

She claimed that Davis had repeatedly threatened her, asserting that he possessed knowledge of the law and would manipulate the situation to portray her as mentally unstable.

Furthermore, she provided recent instances of power imbalance, such as Davis cutting off the power supply to the camper where she resided and restricting her access to personal belongings.

According to official documents, as the relationship deteriorated, M.F. expressed her desire to start anew in a different city and sensed a growing confrontation due to Davis’ need for power and control.

On August 28, M.F. willingly allowed officers to photograph her text conversations with Davis. During their arguments, Davis continued to make derogatory remarks, including comments about drug testing and questioning M.F.’s employability.

The text messages also revealed that M.F. had been locked out of her trailer and denied access to basic necessities such as hygiene, sustenance, and living comforts.

Upon reviewing the messages, the police concluded that Davis had failed to provide the complete context of the conversations when he attempted to have M.F. committed. The messages were actually part of a larger domestic dispute between Davis and the victim, indicating M.F.’s frustration with Davis’ controlling behavior and her desire to end the relationship, rather than a genuine intention to harm herself.

The criminal complaint against Davis accuses him of knowingly or intentionally impeding the breathing or circulation of M.F. by applying pressure to her throat or neck. It further states that he restrained her in a manner that exposed her to the risk of serious bodily injury, thereby violating Section 2902(a)(1) of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, which pertains to unlawful restraint.

Davis has been charged with felony strangulation, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and official oppression. Following his arraignment on September 21, he was remanded without bail.