A 37-year-old Pennsylvania state trooper was captured in August engaging in a physical altercation with his former girlfriend while asserting she posed a threat to herself as per Law and Crime report on Monday, September 25, 2023.
He is now confronting charges for falsely committing her to a psychiatric facility against her will for an extended period. This information was disclosed by the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office.
Ronald Keith Davis, a married individual with children, is facing allegations of official oppression, felony strangulation, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person.
These charges stem from an incident in which he allegedly placed his hands around his ex-partner’s neck, obstructing her breathing, while he was off-duty.
This incident occurred on August 21, a Monday, and was purportedly an effort to prevent her from harming herself.
In a probable cause affidavit, the woman was initially identified as M.F., but it’s worth noting that her last name, as consistently listed in the documents, starts with a different letter. For clarity, we will refer to her as M.P.
According to the District Attorney’s office, due to Davis’ actions, the victim was ultimately compelled to spend five days in a mental health facility against her will.
As per the details provided in the probable cause affidavit for this case, on August 21 while off duty, Davis asserted that M.P. was experiencing suicidal thoughts and subsequently initiated proceedings to have her involuntarily committed.
Following this, Davis proceeded to Weiser State Forest and attempted to apprehend her independently, even enlisting the assistance of a private citizen.
Reportedly, Davis claimed to have declared, “I’ll handle this on my own,” as he took a copy of the petition.
The District Attorney’s office stated that Davis, without waiting for other troopers, partnered with a civilian acquaintance and resorted to significant force against the woman.
The accused contended that M.P. had been residing in a camper on his property and that she had reportedly made statements such as, “I believe I might drive off a cliff,” in the days leading up to the incident.
Prior to arriving at M.P.’s location, Davis purportedly requested Kerry Teter, a civilian, to document the encounter. The trooper had asserted that M.P. had made threats of self-harm.
However, law enforcement authorities contend that the trooper had sent a text message to M.P. two days prior, indicating his intention to depict her as “mentally unstable.”
Subsequently, within the affidavit, investigators asserted that Davis had neglected to furnish the complete context of those text messages exchanged with the victim.
The authorities pointed out that the omission of the genuine context was pivotal in the process of obtaining the Involuntary Mental Health Commitment.
They further indicated that Davis seemed to harbor feelings of jealousy concerning a past relationship M.P. had with another man.
Following a review of the evidence during Davis’ arraignment on September 21, Magisterial District Judge Rebecca Margerum ordered his incarceration in Dauphin County without bail.
Additionally, it was noted by the District Attorney that Davis has been suspended from his position with the Pennsylvania State Police.
