A Democratic Pennsylvania sheriff was arrested Monday for allegedly threatening to cut off and eat a worker’s hands, beat a reporter, and coerce witnesses, according to USA Today:
Beaver County Sheriff George David, 65, was charged with 11 misdemeanors, including terroristic threats, simple assault, witness intimidation, reckless endangerment, and official oppression. The Democrat from Aliquippa was led away in handcuffs from his office in Beaver, outside Pittsburgh, and released after posting $50,000 bail.
The first offense occurred in November 2011 when David reportedly went on a tirade against a Democratic campaign volunteer, "whom he believed bad-mouthed him."
According to the state grand jury report witnesses testified that David said, "Shake my hand. I'll cut your (expletive) hands off and I'll eat them. I'll cut your hands off."
He had another altercation in April 2012 involving a Beaver County Times reporter:
David vowed to beat a Times reporter "worse than I used to beat the (blacks) in Aliquippa," using a racial slur instead. He then began bellowing, "If I knew I was going to die today, I would blow their ... brains out," referring to the Times reporter and the county's chief court clerk.
Next, flanked by two deputies, David pulled his gun from his holder and told the Countian's owner, "I'll blow your (expletive) brains out, too," the grand jury report stated.
David’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for April first. He returned to work on Monday sans his gun and black jack.