A former Penn Hills police officer is facing charges after an alleged road rage incident in Plum.
According to court documents, police were called to the scene of a two-vehicle crash on Universal Road on June 26. While en route, 911 dispatchers notified officers that the men involved in the crash were arguing and one threatened to shoot the other.
The investigation eventually found that Dennis Pape, a former Penn Hills police officer, performed a PIT maneuver on another driver who tried to pass him.
Per court documents, only state troopers are authorized to use the tactic to end vehicle pursuits by striking the rear of one vehicle, causing it to spin out and stop.
Pape is also accused of refusing to obey the orders of officers who responded to the crash. The court documents allege he refused to stay by his vehicle and was yelling at the other driver and officers, “interfering” with the investigation. Eventually, officers used their bodyweight to pin Pape to his vehicle, then eventually got handcuffs on him despite his resisting.
Pape now faces charges of recklessly endangering another person, obstruction and resisting arrest.
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