State troopers closing in on a suspected heroin dealer at a busy Hempfield shopping plaza Tuesday evening narrowly escaped injury when the suspect attempted to flee in his SUV, police said.
Stephen J. Turner-Perkins, 33, of Pittsburgh, nearly struck Trooper Bruce Walters, who had his gun drawn, in the parking lot of the Bob Evans Restaurant in Greengate Centre Circle. Walters jumped out of the way without firing his gun, according to court documents.
Turner-Perkins drove over the curb and through shrubbery at the restaurant, where skid marks from the incident were still visible on the pavement Wednesday afternoon.
Troopers Paul Detruf and David Wineland said Turner-Perkins fled in a 2020 gray Chevrolet Tahoe with state police and agents from the state Attorney General’s office following on to Route 30 westbound where he was stopped after a short distance, according to court papers filed with Hempfield District Judge Mark Mansour.
After police stopped Turner-Perkins about 8:30 p.m., he was arrested after a short struggle with officers.
According to court documents, troopers with Troop A’s specialized community drug enforcement unit confiscated 22 bricks of heroin — or 11,000 stamp bags — in a clear plastic bag inside the SUV. Some of the heroin was marked “dirty harry,” some “shrimp and broccoli” and about 100 packets were marked “Netflix,” Wineland said in court documents.
Troopers Robert Politowski and Wineland wrote in court documents Turner-Perkins admitted to investigators he was at the shopping center to meet a woman in the parking lot “who had bought heroin from him in the past.” He said he planned to sell the woman the 22 bricks of heroin before state police and undercover agents interceded.
Turner-Perkins is charged with aggravated assault, possession with intent to deliver heroin, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, possession of heroin and four counts of recklessly endangering another person.
Turner-Perkins was arraigned and ordered held in the Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post $100,000 bond pending a preliminary hearing Sept. 11.
