A Pennsylvania State Police trooper is facing charges after he allegedly pinned his elderly neighbor to the ground in a property dispute.
State police say 40-year-old Trooper Christopher Miller was caught on tape scuffling with his 72-year-old neighbor last week.
Channel 11 News was there as Miller walked into the magistrate's office in Hempfield Township around 10:30 a.m. Thursday. He appeared in front of district justice Mark Mansour.
According to police, the neighbor was working on some uprooted shrubs along the property line when the two men argued.Investigators said Miller tackled and landed on top of the man.
Police said the neighbor's surveillance camera captured the assault. Investigators said the two men have been in an ongoing battle over the past year.
Residents living in the neighborhood installed their own cameras and used cell phone cameras to capture altercations between Hurd and Miller, according to police.
"Everyone has a cell phone with a video camera. If someone was in the backyard, the other person would come over and they'd be taking pictures," said Hurd’s attorney Amy Cunningham.
Cunningham
said an internal investigation
was launched in 2009 after Hurd filed complaints against Miller. She
said her client and his wife never wanted the feud to escalate to this
level.
“They just want Mr. Miller to leave them alone,” said Cunningham.
State police say 72-year-old Terrence Hurd had to be treated for chest, neck and back injuries.
The complaint against Miller was filed Monday. A message left with his attorney was not immediately returned.
Miller has been a trooper at the Greensburg barracks for 13 years. According to investigators, he was suspended on Monday.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 2.
