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CLEARFIELD -- Two additional felony charges against an off-duty police officer accused of shooting a man at a nightclub in DuBois in February were held to court after a special preliminary hearing Thursday in Clearfield County.
Zachery Allen Dodson, 28, is facing charges in connection to an incident just before 1 a.m. Feb. 19 at Invictus. Dodson was a Curwensville Borough police officer and a sheriff's deputy at the time. He has since left both positions.
According to an affidavit, the club's owner told police that Dodson was "acting agitated and aggressive" by yelling on his phone and punching windows.
Dodson was warned about his actions, and he responded by screaming at the owner, Joseph Morrison. He was told to leave and escorted out the door.
While the owner was talking to Ani Myrtaj, Dodson came back inside while talking on his cellphone. Myrtaj, who was at the club with Dodson, had tried to talk with him outside to de-escalate the situation.
When Morrison and Myrtaj approached Dodson, he pulled a gun from his hip. During a struggle with Morrison holding Dodson's wrist, the gun went off, and a bullet hit Myrtaj in the face.
After this, Morrison got the gun away from Dodson and again took him outside. Dodson kept saying "you're f***ed. I'm a cop." Morrison testified Thursday.
The bullet went through Myrtaj's lip, broke some teeth and his jaw, leaving some fragments by his ear. He has a scar from his left ear to his throat from surgery performed at UPMC in Pittsburgh.
Myrtaj's jaw had to be wired shut causing him to lose over 25 pounds because he could only eat things through a straw. He still can't open his mouth all the way.
When asked Thursday how he felt when this happened, he said he was "traumatized" and had to stay home for two months, which led to depression.
Dodson originally was charged with two counts each of aggravated assault, criminal attempt-aggravated assault and terroristic threats, all felonies, as well as two misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, two misdemeanor counts of simple assault and misdemeanor criminal attempt-simple assault.
However, in a March preliminary hearing, Senior Magisterial District Judge Carmine W. Prestia dismissed one count each of aggravated assault, criminal attempt-aggravated assault, terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person.
In May, District Attorney Ryan Sayers refiled the aggravated assault and terroristic threats charges, with two counts of simple assault and asked for a different judge to hear the case.
On Thursday, Senior Magisterial District Judge Douglas Chambers of Jefferson County presided over a hearing on the new charges, which he held for court and set bail for them at $25,000, unsecured. The original case has bail of $50,000 which was posted.
In a previous conference, First Assistant District Attorney Leanne Nedza had stated if the newer charges were sent on to the county court, she would file a motion to consolidate the two cases.