Lansford man facing charges

Kim Batchelder, 58, 513 E. Bertsch St., Lansford, faces charges after an incident which took place on July 24 at his residence. Charges were filed by Officer Brian Horos. Batchelder is charged with aggravated assault (a felony), resisting arrest, two counts of simple assault, defiant trespass, stalking, harassment, and public drunkenness. He was arraigned before District Judge Joseph Homanko of Weatherly and jailed under $50,000 bail.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, at about 1:30 p.m., Horos was dispatched to 430 E. Bertsch St., which is the Lansford mid-rise, for a complaint of harassment. He was met in the lobby by the complainant, Nancy Zeigler. She told him that she was being continually harassed by Batchelder, even after he had been barred from the mid-rise by police and Zeigler.

That day, though, Batchelder had come to the mid-rise and left a note for Zeigler in the main lobby, then ran out of the building, possibly holding a weapon.

Horos asked Zeigler if she wanted to have Batchelder cited for harassment, since this was not the first time that this had occurred, and she stated that she did.

Horos told her he would talk with Batchelder and tell him once again to stay off the property and that he would be arrested for harassment.

Horos went to Batchelder's house to find the man on his porch. Horos asked him to come out on the sidewalk so he could speak with him and cited him for harassment. Horos also told Batchelder he wanted to pat him down because a weapon had been mentioned.

When Horos told Batchelder he was under arrest and turned him around to cuff him, Batchelder began to resist and fight with Horos. Horos had to forcibly put Batchelder on the ground, cutting and scraping Horos' right hand, wrists, neck and both knees in the process.

A passing neighbor stopped to help the officer until four other assisting police departments arrived. Horos did not use any chemical agents or weapons against Batchelder.