YORK COUNTY — A Perry County man has been charged with simple assault and harassment after he allegedly punched and shoved a woman during a July 4 altercation in West Manchester Township, according to police.
Sean Eric Turley, 32, of Newport, was also injured in the altercation, which began with an argument over when to set off fireworks, according to a criminal complaint filed by West Manchester Township Police.
The incident occurred on the first block of Lawson Court, at about 8:28 p.m., police say.
According to police, an officer was dispatched to Lawson Court for the report that a man was screaming at a woman and someone was “beating up” someone else.
Officers at the scene found a man, later identified as Turley, standing by his car. Turley exhibited bruising around his left eye and blood on his face and forehead, police say. He also had scrapes on his right shoulder, which he said were from a fall off a skateboard earlier in the day. Turley reported that the mother of his children, the female victim in the incident, had punched him in the face. Turley declined medical attention, police say.
Police say they spoke to the victim and two witnesses, who reported that Turley, who was visiting from Perry County with his children, had been drinking with the victim that day, and had been setting off fireworks in the street. The victim reported that she and Turley got into an argument after she asked him to wait until dark to set off fireworks. Turley did not want to wait, the victim reported, and allegedly became belligerent. He walked to the victim’s residence, and the victim followed and asked why he was being rude to her, the victim reported to police.
Turley then allegedly became angry at the victim’s attempts to calm him down, the victim told police. He then punched the victim in the face three times, causing her to fall to the ground, the victim reported.
The victim then got up and struck Turley in the face before running outside, she told police. Turley allegedly pursued her shoving her in the back as she ran and causing her to fall into a Ford Explorer that was parked in the street, the victim reported. The victim’s report was collaborated by a witness, police say.
The victim suffered a laceration to her right knee and a cut to her lip in Turley’s alleged attack, according to police.
Police say Turley denied punching the victim and shoving her in the back while pursuing her. He was arrested at the scene and transported to York Hospital to be medically cleared before being taken to Central Booking for arraignment, police say.
