A frequent critic of Springdale Police is facing a felony charge after he was pinned to the ground and arrested by four police officers during a chaotic scene at Springdale Council’s meeting Tuesday night.
The incident began after William Daniel “Danny” Rosenmund, 36, of Springdale exceeded the borough’s three-minute speaking time during council’s public comment period, according to police and witnesses.
Two officers attempted to remove Rosenmund from the meeting after he continued to speak, but he was “non-compliant and combative,” according to a criminal complaint filed against Rosenmund.
Not long after, police forced Rosenmund to the ground, when two more officers, including Springdale Chief Derek Dayoub, joined in the arrest, according to the complaint.
While on the ground, the complaint states, Rosenmund was “fighting, kicking, biting and screaming.” It also says he bit Dayoub’s hand during the struggle.
Springdale Police charged Rosenmund with felony aggravated assault and lesser charges of simple assault, obstructing government, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and disrupting meetings.
Some witnesses to the arrest don’t fully agree with the account from police.
Lindsay Malinowski, a Springdale resident who attended the meeting, said someone on council informed Rosenmund his time had elapsed after three minutes.
A council member instructed police to remove Rosenmund from the meeting around 30 seconds later as he continued to read a statement, she said.
Two officers approached Rosenmund from behind and began to place their arms around him but, Malinowski said, he stood stiff, leaned into the podium and continued to read.
The officers then took Rosenmund to the ground over a chair, she said.
Videos of the incident show Dayoub and three officers pinning Rosenmund on the floor of the council chambers and disentangling him from the chair.
Rosenmund can be heard yelling and screaming for help in the video. He can be heard yelling that officers are stepping on his arm and that they had put a finger in his eye.
Malinowksi said Rosenmund appeared to be “squirming” as police tried to arrest him, but she didn’t see him kicking or biting.
Dani Jameson, a Harmar resident who also witnessed the incident, told much the same story.
Rosenmund, she said, had been speaking about Pennsylvania’a Sunshine Act during his comments.
Jameson and Malinowski noted that the speaker before Rosenmund had been allowed to exceed the three-minute time limit without incident.
Jameson said Rosenmund did not appear to be physically resisting officers during the altercation.
“He wasn’t throwing hands or anything,” she said. “It was very clear he wasn’t trying to hurt anybody.”
The video of the incident, though, appears to show Rosenmund struggling as officers try to handcuff him. The footage, which does not show events immediately before Rosenmund was taken to the floor, does not show any officers hitting or striking Rosenmund.
During the arrest, council members abruptly went into recess, and someone in the video can be heard instructing attendees to leave the room.
Another video taken by Malinowski shows three officers carrying Rosenmund in handcuffs from the council chambers to the Springdale Police station next door.
He was later taken to AHN Harmar hospital after he told police he was having difficulty breathing, the complaint said.
Springdale police Sgt. Paul Perriello was also transported to the hospital for difficulty breathing, bleeding and a possible head injury, and Dayoub was evaluated for injuries to his hand, according to the complaint.
Another video captured by Malinowski shows police and medics loading Rosenmund into an ambulance. When his wife, Kaitlyn Ockree, approaches the ambulance, Dayoub can be seen yanking her away and shouting for her to “back up.”
After Ockree is informed that Rosenmund will be taken to AHN Harmar, Dayoub and another officer can be heard telling Ockree not to come to the hospital.
“You show up down there, you’re going to jail,” Dayoub and the other officer said.
Rosenmund is a frequent speaker at Springdale Council meetings and has recently criticized Springdale Police’s decision to enter a 287(g) agreement to assist federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers last fall without a public vote.
He has also directly criticized Dayoub for alleged past misconduct.
After spending the night at Allegheny County Jail, Rosenmund was released on an unsecured $30,000 bond Wednesday morning, according to court records.
His preliminary hearing is set for May 6 before District Judge Michael Girardi in Harmar.
Dayoub, Springdale’s police chief, did not immediately return a TribLive request for comment. Neither did Mayor Joel Anderson and council members Mike Ziencik, Deborah Piontek, Jason Overly, Jeff Hartz and Dolly Stephens.
Councilmen Dan Copeland and Joe Kern declined to comment.