Man who grabbed officer’s gun, bit him, given state prison sentence

A Palmerton man admitted in Carbon County court on Monday to grabbing an officer’s gun and then biting him during a struggle.

Jonathan Heydt, 39, pleaded to one count each of disarming a law enforcement officer and simple assault before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Matika then sentenced him to serve nine to 36 months in a state correctional institution on the first count and three to 24 months on the second count, with the terms running concurrently.

Heydt was arrested after police responded to an Avenue B residence at 6:19 p.m. on Aug. 21, when a female victim accused Heydt of striking her in the face and assaulting her the day before.

During the 911 call, dispatchers said they heard the woman yelling “please stop” and crying, along with the sound of her being hit while she was on the phone.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by officer Shawn Leadbetter, he and officer Trevor Flexer approached Heydt on the porch of the residence, but Heydt resisted arrest and a physical struggle ensued.

Leadbetter and Heydt were thrown over the side of the porch and onto the pavement. Leadbetter said Heydt struck him twice in the face, causing an abrasion and laceration. Heydt also bit the officer’s right arm and grabbed his gun while it was in the holster.

Flexer used multiple Taser deployments to subdue Heydt, who was taken into custody after the 4-minute altercation.

Leadbetter and Heydt both required medical treatment at St. Luke’s Gnaden Huetten Campus following the struggle.

Heydt was originally charged with three counts each of aggravated assault, attempted simple assault and harassment and one counts each of false imprisonment and disarming a law enforcement officer. In a plea bargain with the district attorney’s office, all the charges were dropped except the two he pleaded to.

Heydt is currently an inmate in the state correctional institution at Mahanoy, Schuylkill County. He said he is awaiting resentencing on a parole violation filed by the state.

Matika also ordered Heydt to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and follow any recommendations for treatment, supply a DNA sample, successfully complete an anger management course, render 100 hours of community service when paroled and pay court costs of about $1,000.

He was given credit for 51 days already served.