Police: Clarion Man Refuses to Leave Local Business, Kicks Police Cruiser’s Door

Aly Delp

Published September 18, 2018 4:30 am

Police: Clarion Man Refuses to Leave Local Business, Kicks Police Cruiser’s Door

CLARION BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) — A Clarion man is facing charges after he allegedly refused to leave a local business and repeatedly kicked the door of a police cruiser.

Court documents indicate the Clarion Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against 28-year-old Joseph O. Fleming III, of Clarion, on September 7.

According to a criminal complaint, around 12:51 a.m. on Thursday, September 6, Officer Maxwell, of the Clarion Borough Police Department, was stopped by a bouncer from an establishment on Main Street. The bouncer stated the business was having issues with a patron who was refusing to leave. He described the patron as a white male wearing an orange shirt and said that he was outside and intoxicated.

Officer Maxwell turned his vehicle around and pulled up to the front of the business, where he made contact with the intoxicated patron, later identified as Joseph O. Fleming III.

According to the complaint, when Officer Maxwell asked Fleming what was going on and why he wouldn’t leave, Fleming did not have an answer.

The complaint states that Fleming was visibly intoxicated with glassy, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, a strong odor of alcoholic beverages around his person. It also notes Fleming was unsteady on his feet, admitted to drinking heavily, and was behaving erratically, with emotional ups and downs.

Officer Maxwell patted Fleming down for officer safety reasons and placed him in handcuffs due to his erratic behavior before placing him in the back of a patrol vehicle.

According to the complaint, when Officer Maxwell asked Fleming where he was from, he stated he was from California. Officer Maxwell then asked if his identification was out of California or Pennsylvania, and Fleming first said California, then stated it was from Pennsylvania.

The complaint indicates that Fleming’s emotions were “all over the place and he began to yell and carry on.” Officer Maxwell advised him several times that he needed to calm down and closed the back door of the cruiser.

According to the complaint, Fleming then “forcefully kicked the door of the cruiser and began to yell loudly.” Officer Maxwell opened the cruiser door and advised Fleming he needed to stop before he made things worse for himself.

Fleming was then transported to the Clarion Borough Police Department where he was placed in the holding cell. He was later transported to his father’s home and released into his father’s custody.

The following charges were filed on Friday, September 7, in Magisterial District Judge Duane L. Quinn’s office: