Hearing set for state trooper accused of harassing teen; lawyer balks at charge

A hearing has been scheduled for next month in the case of an Armstrong County-based state trooper who is accused of harassing a 15-year-old boy.

Trooper Nickolas R. Elliott, 30, pleaded not guilty to a charge of harassment by physical contact filed against him Wednesday.

Elliott, who is assigned to the Troop D station in East Franklin, will be off the job without pay pending the outcome of the case.

A hearing on the charge is scheduled for 2 p.m. Oct. 13 before Kittanning District Judge James Owen.

Elliott’s lawyer, Patrick J. Thomassey, said the charge against his client is unwarranted.

“Quite frankly, I don’t think that he did anything wrong,” Thomassey said Friday. “This thing went on for hours, and there was a little shoving going on. Police officers are out there every day risking their lives, and I’m very surprised that charges were even brought.

“It’s not fair, and it’s not right to jeopardize someone’s livelihood over something like this. But we’ll have to see what happens at the hearing,” Thomassey said.

The criminal complaint against Elliott, filed by state police Sgt. Jason Swope, said that on June 27 Elliott “pushed the victim from behind and later subjected him to physical contact while the victim was seated in a vehicle that served no legitimate purpose.”

The incident occurred along Parkview Extension, the short road leading from Route 422 to the Troop D station, the complaint said.

Investigators did not release details about the circumstances that led to the encounter between Elliott and the teen, who was not publicly identified by police.

The charge was filed after an investigation by the state police Internal Affairs Division, according to a news release from the law enforcement agency.

“(Pennsylvania State Police) does not tolerate such action in any situation and takes these allegations seriously,” authorities wrote in the release.

A state police spokeswoman said Elliott could be subject to additional discipline if he is found guilty and it is determined he violated the governor’s code of conduct.

Troop D’s coverage area includes Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties, along with Alle-Kiski Valley communities in Allegheny County, Route 28 from the Armstrong County line to the Pittsburgh city limits and Interstate 80 through Venango County.