North Huntingdon charges 2 in police video incident

Two North Huntingdon men who have been harsh critics of township officials and the police are accused of operating a video in the department lobby, despite signs prohibiting such activity and repeatedly being warned by police that was prohibited.

Nicholas A. Carrozza, 35, and Dustin J. Logue, 23, are accused of going into the police lobby on July 27 and using an electronic device to record activity and remaining there for about an hour, according to the criminal complaint filed in the case.

The pair were charged with two misdemeanor counts of defiant trespass by use of communication devices and defiant trespass of posted signs and two counts of conspiring to commit defiant trespass.

The pair allegedly had gone into the police lobby on July 26 and were recording and live-streaming on Facebook, despite Sgt. Kari Bauer telling them that it was illegal, based on a state court decision. They disregarded the warnings and recorded for about an hour that day, police said.

They were arrested when they returned on July 27 and resumed recording, according to affidavit. Their electric recording equipment, including an iPhone, was confiscated for use as evidence.

A preliminary hearing for the pair is scheduled for Sept. 19 before North Huntingdon District Judge Henry Moore.

Both men frequently attend the township commissioners meetings, where they lace their criticism of police and public officials with profanity and do not stop when told to refrain from using that language.

Police have escorted Carrozza out of the meetings a few times.

Carrozza said that it was necessary for them to record their visit to the police department, which he claimed was done under their First Amendment rights. The arrest was unlawful and retaliatory, he said, and their arrest proved it was necessary to make a recording.

Logue said they were trying to gain accountability and transparency by recording in the police department.

“It was disheartening that officers sworn to uphold the Constitution would arrest anyone for exercising those rights,” Logue said. “I look forward to us having our day in court.”