Norristown police officer who struck a naked man with his patrol vehicle has been charged with assault, authorities say
Sgt. Daniel DeOrzio used excessive force in the incident, prosecutors said. He is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, and related crimes.
A Norristown police sergeant who struck a naked, unarmed man with his patrol SUV last week has been charged with assault, official oppression, and related crimes, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Sgt. Daniel DeOrzio, 52, used unnecessary force in the Feb. 4 incident, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said. He was placed on administrative leave after the encounter.
Prosecutors said officers had been dispatched to the intersection of West Airy and Stanbridge street after reports that the naked man was yelling and damaging cars in the intersection. DeOrzio was among several officers who responded and, according to investigators, positioned his police SUV behind a gray pickup truck blocking the roadway.
After ordering the truck removed, authorities said, DeOrzio accelerated and struck the man, who was standing in the intersection with his hands on his hips.
The impact sent the man airborne before he slammed onto the pavement, prosecutors said. He was taken to Main Line Health Paoli Hospital and released two days later.
Investigators concluded that DeOrzio, the highest-ranking officer at the scene, used unnecessary force and failed to attempt basic de-escalation tactics, including verbal commands, before resorting to violence, the district attorney said.
“This was not a necessary use of deadly force in this response incident,” Steele said in a statement.
The incident drew criticism at a public meeting last week, where Norristown Police Chief Mike Trail fielded questions from residents upset over the officer’s actions. Trail said he would like to form a mental health co-responder program that would pair officers with mental health experts to de-escalate future situations.
“People experiencing mental health behavioral episodes are more likely to ... be subject to use of force by responding law enforcement officers because they lack the tools and the sophisticated training necessary to de-escalate,” he said.
DeOrzio turned himself in Tuesday morning and was arraigned. Magisterial District Judge Cathleen Kelly Rebar set his bail at $100,000. DeOrzio could not be immediately reached for comment.