Published Friday, September 13, 2002
By Joe Pinchot
Herald Staff Writer
A Sharon man charged with trying to run down a Southwest Mercer County Regional policeman and escaping from police custody said he wanted to talk to the Sharon police chief before proceeding with his preliminary hearing.
District Justice James E. McMahon, Sharon, granted the unusual request of Maurice L. Atwood, 34, of 1110 Hamilton Ave., Thursday, but said he generally does not like to postpone hearings to a later date.
Atwood promised, "some things will be resolved" when he speaks to Chief Thomas Burke.
"I've known Burke for a while and I'd like to speak to him on these matters and some other matters," said Atwood, whose hands were cuffed behind his back, and whose ankles were shackled.
Atwood escaped from Sharon police custody last week when he was on a smoke break outside the police station, police said. He bolted when the policeman watching him started walking up steps leading into the building, police said. Atwood, a jail inmate, was in police custody Sept. 5 to attend a preliminary hearing.
Atwood ran along railroad tracks and police lost him at South Irvine Avenue and Ohio Street. Atwood was caught about three hours later in the 400 block of Ohio Street after neighbors alerted police, police said.
Sharon police charged Atwood with escape. He is also charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, endangering welfare of children, fleeing police and flight to avoid apprehension for the 5:14 p.m. Sept. 1 incident in which a policeman tried to arrest him at New Castle and Mesabi streets in Sharon.
Atwood was wanted by state police for having escaped Aug. 13 from a halfway house in Findlay Township, Allegheny County. He had been there as part of a sentence on charges of burglary and theft.
Atwood had two children, a 7-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl, in the car when he tried to hit the Southwest patrolman with the car, police said.
Atwood led police on a short chase before running from the car and was caught in the 200 block of Mesabi, police said.
McMahon set a hearing for 11 a.m. Thursday.
Atwood accepted that his bond would not be changed as a condition of the continuance being granted and was returned to Mercer County Jail.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at jpinchot@sharonherald.com