Former Arnold police Chief Eric Doutt charged with selling cocaine, stealing rifle from police evidence room

Former Arnold police Chief Eric Doutt is accused of selling cocaine in Armstrong County and previously stealing an assault-style rifle from the Arnold Police Department evidence room, according to charges filed by the state Attorney General’s Office.

Doutt, 56, of Arnold, a former Arnold police chief and New Kensington-Arnold School Board member, was arrested in East Franklin on Thursday after, investigators say, he was followed from a meeting with an informant during which he sold the informant cocaine.

Investigators say they arranged three drug buys from Doutt in October and this month with the same informant.

The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday night that Doutt faces additional drug charges that stemmed from a search of a house he owns following his arrest on the state charges.

He also faces county charges involving the alleged theft of several items from the Arnold Police Department, including leg shackles engraved with “APD,” a fellow officer’s leather jacket with Arnold Police Department patches, and a portable police radio that had been reported missing.

Doutt was working as a police officer for UPMC, authorities said. A UPMC spokesperson said Doutt has been fired effective immediately.

Doutt, an Arnold resident, was arraigned Thursday before Kittanning District Judge Kevin McCausland, online court records indicate.

The state Attorney General’s Office filed six felony counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, and a single charge of criminal use of a communication facility in connection with the drug charges out of Armstrong County.

Additionally, state Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement released Friday that Doutt also is charged with stealing the AR-15-style rifle from Arnold’s police evidence room with the intent of returning it to its owner. The gun was scheduled to be destroyed. Doutt is charged with receiving stolen property in regard to the gun.

“This type of conduct by a trusted officer of the law violates the oath he took to keep our communities safe,” Sunday’s statement said. “As a sworn officer, he was duty bound to remove these dangers from the community and instead, we allege he peddled these poisons.”

The drug investigation began, court documents state, on Oct. 17, when the informant told police they had bought cocaine or other drugs from Doutt on numerous occasions over the past several years, sometimes multiple times a day.

The informant gave police a phone number he used to contact Doutt that investigators say they were able to trace to Doutt.

Investigators say they arranged the first drug buy on Oct. 24, with the informant meeting Doutt near Kittanning, where he bought cocaine from Doutt for $120 in recorded bills given to the informant by police, court documents state. As part of their surveillance of Doutt, investigators say they saw Doutt get into his vehicle, which they noted had a distinct Fraternal Order of Police placard on the back.

A second buy, according to court papers, took place on Nov. 3, with the same informant paying $300 this time in recorded cash, also at an undisclosed meeting point near Kittanning.

In that transaction, Doutt told the informant to include an additional $20 for gas money, his arrest papers state.

On Thursday, investigators say a third meeting was arranged, with the informant using $320 in recorded money to again buy cocaine from Doutt, court papers state.

Doutt was arrested after that meeting when Attorney General’s agents pulled his vehicle over on Route 28, court papers state.

During all three drug buys, investigators say they followed Doutt from what they called his “secondary residence,” in Arnold, to the prearranged drug buy locations, court papers state.

Court papers also state that, on at least two of the drug buys, Doutt expressed worries about being identified by his vehicle’s license plate and even fingerprints left on the plastic baggies of cocaine he sold the informant.

During the second buy, the informant told police Doutt also was worried about someone having a fatal overdose on the cocaine. Doutt was heard on the audio recording of the exchange that he was concerned that a death would spark a criminal investigation that might be traced back to him.

Westmorland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli released a statement Friday night saying that investigators got a search warrant for Doutt’s secondary residence and found cocaine in the kitchen. She said the detective also discovered a foil bag containing a substance that is believed to be a cutting agent for cocaine.

Based on that raid, county detectives charged Doutt with theft, receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence, obstruction and drug-related offenses.

Doutt began working at the Arnold Police Department in 1990 in many roles, from patrolman to chief, until his retirement Jan. 1, 2024.

Doutt retired when Mayor Shannon Santucci was taking office. Santucci said Friday that the news of Doutt’s arrest was “another unfortunate event for the City of Arnold.”

“You trust police officers to keep you safe and make sure they’re abiding by the rules and the laws they uphold,” Santucci said. “It’s sad in this day and age; this happens everywhere.”

Following Doutt’s retirement, Santucci appointed Joshua Stanga as chief until he was suspended and later resigned this summer after being charged by state investigators, who targeted him in what they described as a “sting” operation to test his integrity.

“It’s sad our city and residents have to keep taking hits from police officers making these choices,” Santucci said. “I want to make it clear that, as mayor, I will not tolerate unlawful behavior from police officers. Any officer in our department who is suspected of doing anything illegal will be dealt with. It will not be tolerated.”

Santucci said Arnold will fully cooperate and be transparent with investigators regarding Doutt’s case.

Santucci expressed confidence in the current city police department, saying that officials are working to extend training to officers, get better equipment, look for better ways to recruit and retain talented officers, implement more policies and procedures and make the workplace a positive atmosphere.

Doutt was unable to post $250,000 bond, according to online records and was being held in the Armstrong County Jail in Kittanning.

Court records did not list an attorney for Doutt.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Nov. 19 before District Judge Kenneth Bussard.