Jeannette man to serve probation for assault on Vandergrift police

A Jeannette man asked for and received a chance to turn his life around when he was sentenced Monday to house arrest and probation for an assault against a Vandergrift police officer.

The officer suffered what likely are career-ending injuries during an escape attempt by Chad Foster nearly three years ago, according to a Westmoreland County judge.

“I didn’t mean for any of that to happen that night. I was handcuffed, and I tried to run. He fell and got hurt,” Foster said. “Since then, I’ve been the most stable I’ve ever been in my life. Going to jail is not going to help me. It will set me back. It sucks to be here.”

Since his arrest, Foster has found a job and cares for his ailing father, he told the judge.

Foster, 30, pleaded guilty this year to two counts of aggravated assault in connection with a Sept. 29, 2021, incident in Vandergrift.

Police said Foster was detained in his former girlfriend’s Linden Street home after reports of an alleged burglary. According to court records, police placed Foster in handcuffs and he attempted to break free of the officers, who fell to the ground during the getaway attempt.

Anthony DePanicis, a Vandergrift police sergeant, suffered a major shoulder injury that likely ended his career. In a letter read aloud in court Monday, DePanicis said the incident with Foster had devastating effects on his life including the inability to currently work as a full-time police officer, a job he has held for the last three decades.

“Not knowing what my future holds as far as a career weigh(s) heavily on me every single day,” DePanicis wrote.

Prosecutors said Foster, who has a criminal record including multiple drug arrests dating to 2015, faced at least 21 months in jail under standard sentencing guidelines.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio said Foster appears to have made significant changes in his lifestyle that warranted leniency.

“This was a career-ending encounter for one of these officers. I don’t believe that’s what you intended, but the criminal lifestyle you’ve been part of put you in that situation,” Bilik-DeFazio said.

She ordered Foster to serve three years on probation, including a six-month period of house arrest. The judge also required Foster maintain employment during his probation term and draft letters of apology to both police officers.

Foster was ordered to pay more than $180,000 in restitution to an insurance company that paid for the officer’s medical treatment.

In an email sent after the hearing, Depanicis wrote he hopes to continue his law enforcement career.

“I am doing everything I can do to return to work, physical therapy, everything. My intentions are to get back into (the) saddle. Time will tell. I’ve been working very hard to try and get back.”