Arnold police officer cleared of final charge related to allegation of unlawfully killing deer
An Arnold police officer has been cleared of all charges related to an allegation that he unlawfully killed an antlered deer.
Brackenridge District Judge Carolyn S. Bengel dismissed the third and final charge against Jacob A. Pollick, 30, of Murrysville after a hearing Wednesday, according to court records.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission had charged Pollick with a misdemeanor count of intimidating a witness or victim to withhold testimony.
The dismissal comes after Pollick was first found not guilty of the summary unlawful killing charge, and the withdrawal of a misdemeanor charge of tampering with evidence, both in April and in separate courts.
The charges filed March 21 stemmed from an allegation that Pollick had unlawfully shot an antlered whitetail deer outside legal hunting hours Oct. 11 in the area of the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer.
His attorney in that case, Dan Joseph, said it was determined Pollick had taken the deer during daylight hours Oct. 10.
The commission then said Pollick tried to hide evidence, deer skulls, outside his home when game wardens were there in November and encouraged a friend to lie if he was subpoenaed to testify.
Prosecutors said they didn’t have a case against Pollick because although a game warden had taken pictures of the skulls, they were not seized as evidence.
Bengel dismissed the witness intimidation charge after hearing from two witnesses called by prosecutors, according to John Pallone, Pollick’s attorney.
Pallone called it a trumped-up charge.
“This guy is a legitimate law-abiding citizen who didn’t do anything wrong. His credibility was at stake here and his career and profession,” Pallone said. “My client was not guilty. Charges have either been absolved through a not guilty verdict, withdrawn or dismissed. His record is clear now.”
Pollick had been suspended from the Arnold police force without pay. He is expected to return to duty, Mayor Joe Bia II said.
Bia said Pollick can’t be reinstated, however, until his state certification is reactivated.
Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
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