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Olanta man to face trial

CLEARFIELD – A man will stand trial for assaulting a state trooper and fleeing after a traffic stop.

Dale Edward Shaffer, 35, of Olanta was charged with aggravated assault, disarming a law enforcement officer, two counts of endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, fleeing or attempting to elude police and harassment after an incident in Olanta on

April 30.

After a preliminary hearing Wednesday during centralized court in Clearfield County, all charges were held to court, sending the case to the county Court of Common Pleas.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, a state trooper was patrolling in Knox Township, Clearfield County, when he saw a blue Mazda with the registration assigned to a different vehicle. The trooper attempted a traffic stop and began to pursue the vehicle.

The Mazda did not stop and the trooper followed it until it came upon a natural barrier that blocked the road. When the vehicle stopped, both drivers left their vehicles.

The Mazda’s driver, identified as Shaffer, allegedly punched the officer several times and then attempted to strangle him.

During the altercation, Shaffer reportedly grabbed the officer’s firearm and tried to remove it from its holster.

Shaffer repeatedly said, “Give me your gun,” according to the complaint. Shaffer then fled the scene.

A second trooper arrived on the scene and called an ambulance for the first officer. They discovered Shaffer had left two small children in the vehicle in their car seats.

A state police helicopter searched the area before Shaffer was apprehended.

Shaffer remains in the county jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.

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