Two Plymouth Township police officers were injured Oct. 21 after a suspect allegedly took one officer's taser during an arrest. The confrontation happened on the Cross County Trail near the Barnes & Noble on Chemical Road in Plymouth Meeting.
Dallas Whitt Anderson-James, 42, faces multiple felony charges including two counts of disarming a law enforcement officer and one count of aggravated assault, according to a Plymouth Township Police Department press release. All charges are allegations, and Anderson-James is presumed innocent.
The incident began at about 4:54 p.m. when officers responded to the 2000 block of Chemical Road. A woman reported Anderson-James was repeatedly contacting her despite a valid protection-from-abuse order. Police confirmed the communications and warned Anderson-James that an arrest warrant was pending and that he was to stay away from the area.
At about 7:09 p.m., the woman called police again to report Anderson-James was on foot along Chemical Road. Officers found him on the Cross County Trail near the Barnes & Noble store, NBC Philadelphia reported.
Anderson-James refused orders to stop and remove his hand from his pocket, police said. When officers tried to take him into custody on the protection-from-abuse violation warrant, he resisted.
During the struggle, officers and Anderson-James went to the ground. Anderson-James gained possession of an officer's taser, according to the press release.
As officers fought to recover it, Anderson-James "grabbed hold of the grip of an Officer's service pistol, attempting to remove the firearm from the officer's holster," the department said. The officer secured his weapon and prevented Anderson-James from removing it. Officers eventually placed him in handcuffs.
Both officers were hospitalized. One was treated, released and has returned to work. The second was released but remains out of work recovering from an arm injury, the department said.
Anderson-James also faces charges of first-degree misdemeanor stalking, simple assault, evading arrest on foot, recklessly endangering another person and two counts of contempt for violating a protection-from-abuse order.
Magisterial District Judge Patrick O. Krouse arraigned Anderson-James on Oct. 22. Bail was set at $100,000 cash for the aggravated assault and disarming charges and $10,000 cash on each of the two protection-from-abuse violation complaints. Unable to post bail, Anderson-James is being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
A preliminary hearing on the felony charges is scheduled for Nov. 10 at 9:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Jodi Griffis. Whitemarsh Township police, Conshohocken police, West Conshohocken police and the Plymouth Community Ambulance Association assisted at the scene.
Anyone with information about this incident can contact the Plymouth Township Police Department.
