Man guilty of assaulting sergeant

1/19/2013

A Toledo man accused of punching a police sergeant in the face has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

David Riley, 30, of 2243 W. Laskey Rd. entered the plea Thursday. He faces up to six months of local incarceration when sentenced Feb. 14 by Judge Ruth Ann Franks.

Authorities said Sgt. Diane Chandler was working security at the TARTA Park Station, Erie Street and Madison Avenue, on Nov. 23 when she told a man to leave. He refused, and when the sergeant tried to arrest him, he resisted and punched her in the face, authorities said. A witness helped the sergeant detain the suspect until other officers arrived.

As part of the plea, the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor from a fourth-degree felony; the felony charge resulted from the victim being a police officer.