Hempfield man accused of jumping in and out of traffic on Route 136

A Hempfield man is free on bail after state police said he jumped in and out of traffic Friday and fought with troopers, according to court papers.

Kenneth Wayne Barron II, 22, is charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, obstruction of highways and public drunkenness.

Police said they were called to Route 136 near the intersection with Cribbs Station Road in Hempfield around 5:30 p.m. after numerous people called 911 to report a man dressed in all black disrupting traffic. Troopers said the suspect was acting erratically and immediately fell to the ground when police tried to talk to him, according to court papers.

Barron violently resisted their attempts to handcuff him, police said, and tried multiple times to hit two troopers and an off-duty officer who stopped to help. The incident caused traffic to back up on Route 136, not far from where Barron lives and the Toll Route 66 interchange, according to court papers.

The off-duty officer took Barron to Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital. Troopers said they believed Barron had been using drugs. Family members said they suspected it was a mental health issue.

He continued to fight with nurses, security staff and others at the hospital, police said.

Barron was arraigned Saturday morning and spent two days at the Westmoreland County Prison on $5,000 bail, which he posted Monday, according to online court records.

A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 24. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records.