Just moments after a jury convicted a Bolivar man of sexual assault on Wednesday he threatened to kill himself and lunged toward the windows of a second-floor courtroom in the Westmoreland County Courthouse. He was quickly tackled by two deputy sheriffs.

Deputies spent more than a minute attempting to subdue 60-year-old Jerry Boring, who violently struggled to get free before he was placed into a headlock and carried head first through a side door of the courtroom.

One deputy, who had blood on his face following the incident, was treated at Independence Health Westmoreland Hospital for hand and facial injuries. County Sheriff James Albert said Boring continued to fight with deputies and threaten suicide as they attempted to take him to a holding cell and place him in leg irons before he was transported to the county prison.

Boring’s now 16-year-old accuser, who was seated in the rear of the courtroom, fled into the hallway during the melee and according to witnesses collapsed to the floor before being comforted by family members and court officials. She appeared to be uninjured.

Mental health concerns

Last May, county Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio ruled Boring was incompetent to stand trial. In June, based on recommendations from Boring’s mental health doctors and caseworkers, Bilik-DeFazio found his competency level had been restored enough to allow his case to go to trial.

Concerns about Boring’s mental health again surfaced during a pretrial hearing in January, according to Assistant Public Defender Sarah Reeb.

“We talked to the judge about it and his caseworkers said he was just being dramatic in court,” Reeb said. She said Boring has continued to receive mental health care while in jail and awaiting trial.

Boring sat quietly as jurors returned with the guilty verdicts following an hour of deliberations. After the jury left the courtroom, the judge had Boring stand and informed him that he could appeal the verdict. As she spoke, Boring turned to the side, faced the large courtroom windows several feet to his right, declared his intent to kill himself and lunged.

Boring’s actions in court on Wednesday came as a surprise, according to his lawyer.

“He never actually indicated he would take steps to do anything like this,” Reeb said.

Westmoreland County Prison Warden Steve Pelesky said Boring, was uninjured and was placed in an observation cell when he was returned to the jail following the trial.

“He settled down once he got here,” Pelesky said.

Jurors found Boring guilty on all three counts he faced, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault in connection to allegations he repeatedly sexually assaulted his accuser over a five-year period that ended in February 2022.

Boring’s accuser testified during the three-day trial that she was 10 years-old when Boring, a family friend, forced her into sexual situations when he came to babysit at her home.

Boring denied the allegations and testified his accuser lied about the sexual assaults and refuted claims by police that he confessed to his actions with his victim.

Reeb told jurors in her closing argument that prosecutors had no physical evidence to support the criminal charges against Boring.

Assistant District Attorney Katie Ranker told jurors the accuser’s testimony was enough evidence to prove the sexual assaults.

“We gave you her testimony. That is the proof. The commonwealth doesn’t need to produce any additional evidence,” Ranker said. “Why on earth would she lie to you about this,” Ranker said.

Boring is expected to return to court for a sentencing hearing in about three months.

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