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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- A Blair County jury heard testimony Tuesday afternoon from first responders in the case against a city man accused of assaulting several officers as he was being arrested for domestic violence and attempting to escape a moving ambulance in April 2025.
Daniel Carl Morse, 33, is facing eight felony counts of aggravated assault, two felony counts of escape and single felony counts of attempt to disarm a law enforcement officer and attempted robbery, as well as 21 related misdemeanor charges. He has been held at the Blair County Prison in lieu of $200,000 since his arrest.
Blair County District Attorney Pete Weeks called state police Trooper Creston Jenkins to the stand on the first day of Morse's trial, and questioned him on the sequence of events that unfolded after Morse and the victim appeared at the state police barracks in the early morning hours of April 12, 2025.
Jenkins said Morse arrived at the state police barracks in Hollidaysburg with a woman who they noted as having a large lump and swelling around one of her eyes. He told the jury that the woman was bleeding from the injury and Morse "seemed to be in a dazed state."
Weeks showed the jury surveillance footage from the barracks' lobby and asked Jenkins to describe what appeared to be happening. On screen, Morse could be seen using the barracks' corded lobby phone to talk to the on-site dispatcher while grabbing onto the woman to prevent her from leaving.
After the dispatcher alerted them to the situation, Jenkins and other officers are seen entering the lobby and getting between Morse and the woman. An officer is then seen taking the woman into the lobby vestibule to talk privately.
Jenkins said they quickly determined the incident that left the woman with the facial injury allegedly occurred at a Rutter's gas station within the Altoona Police Department's jurisdiction. Jenkins and other officers then "occupied" Morse by engaging him in conversation about football and other topics while the dispatcher contacted Altoona police.
During their conversation, Jenkins said Morse believed the woman had formed a "master plan" to "take his life." After about 45 minutes of waiting, Morse can be seen on video suddenly attacking the officers and punching Jenkins.
When questioned by Weeks on the altercation, Jenkins said Morse struck him once in the head above his ear, causing a laceration and bleeding.
In addition to Jenkins, the video footage appeared to show Morse fighting with at least two other officers as they attempted to take him to the ground and place him in handcuffs. Officers are seen issuing compliance strikes to Morse's head and tasing him periodically in the back to no effect.
Weeks asked Jenkins what a person's "typical reaction" would be to not only being struck by officers, but tased, to which Jenkins said "most of the time they would listen to you at that point."
"He actually put up quite a fight, which was pretty impressive," Jenkins said.
Jenkins told the jury that Morse continued resisting commands while trying to strike him and the other officers. He confirmed that Morse's behavior was in "stark contrast" to how he had been acting the previous 45 minutes.
"I was kind of surprised by it," Jenkins said. "I was pretty mad at him, to be honest."
On cross examination, defense attorney William Wigman asked Jenkins about the incident at Rutter's, to which Jenkins confirmed he didn't witness it firsthand. He said his only knowledge of that incident came from what he was told afterward.
Through further questioning, Jenkins reiterated that Morse believed the woman was trying to kill him and that her "master plan" was on a laptop.
"I never had someone say 'this person is trying to kill me' but keep them close to themselves," Jenkins said.
Following Jenkins's testimony, Weeks called on John Reilly, a paramedic with the Hollidaysburg American Legion Ambulance Service. Reilly said Morse "appeared to understand" what he was being told and behaved and listened to commands on the way to UPMC Altoona "for the most part."
Reilly told the jury that Morse appeared irritated and "suddenly tried to get up and exit the ambulance" as it was approaching the Seventh Street bridge from Sixth Avenue.
"I told him he had to remain seated, but he kept trying to get up," Reilly said.
At that point, Morse was being "very combative" and Reilly had to ask the driver to pull over, Reilly said. Officers who had been following behind the ambulance then entered the patient compartment to assist Reilly, which is when Morse continued his fight with officers, Reilly said.
After receiving permission, Reilly gave Morse ketamine to try to calm him, but it was "not effective in slowing (Morse) down," Reilly said. He described that as "extremely abnormal."
At the hospital, medical staff gave Morse another sedative. Reilly said Morse continued to be combative until the drug took effect and they were able to remove him from the ambulance.
Testimony is expected to continue at 8:45 a.m. today in courtroom three of the Blair County Courthouse.
Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.