Law enforcementPennsylvania Sheriff charged for making terrorist threats

George David, Beaver County's indicted sheriff // Source: beavercountypa.gov

A Pennsylvania sheriff was arrested and charged Monday for threatening to chop off a Democratic campaign worker’s hands, shoot a reporter, and intimidate witnesses.

USA Todayreports that George David of the Beaver County Sheriff’s Department was charged with eleven misdemeanors, including making terroristic threats, simple assault, and witness intimidation. David was released after he posted a $50,000 bail and returned to work on Monday, but he was not allowed to carry a gun or a nightstick, and  had to surrender them to a judge.

“It’s not enough for law officers to simply abide by the law. They must also set a good example for others,” Attorney General Kathleen Kane said in announcing the charges. “Sheriff David failed on both counts. He will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

One incident occurred in November 2011, when David allegedly threatened to harm a campaign volunteer because David believed the man had made negative statements about him, according to the state grand jury report.

“Shake my hand. I’ll cut your (expletive) hands off and I’ll eat them. I’ll cut your hands off,” David was quoted saying. Witnesses offered corroborating testimony. The volunteer did not file charges as he feared for his life.

In a separate incident in April 2012, David allegedly took out his gun began yelling at the owner of the Beaver Countian, who at the time was looking into a Beaver County Times investigation of the purchase of deputies’ uniforms.

According to USA Today, David promised to beat a Times reporter “worse than I used to beat the (N-word) in Aliquippa.” He then began bellowing, “If I knew I was going to die today, I would blow their … brains out,” referring to the Times reporter and the county’s chief court clerk.

David then pulled his gun from his holder, with two deputies standing next to him, and told the Countian’s owner, “I’ll blow your (expletive) brains out, too,” the grand jury report stated.

David has denied both accounts, according to his lawyer. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 April.