A former State Representative was sent to Schuylkill County Prison Tuesday night after he allegedly caused a disturbance at a public hearing regarding a planned data center in Schuylkill County.
Todd Eachus, 63, of Drums, is a Democrat who represented Luzerne County in the state legislature from 1997 until 2010, served as Majority Leader of the House of Representatives from 2009 through much of 2010.
Following his arrest at a public hearing in Kline Township, Eachus was arraigned on four felony counts of aggravated assault against designated individuals, four misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, and misdemeanor counts of disrupting a meeting and disorderly conduct.
Magisterial District Judge Christian Lengel set bail at $10,000. Eachus posted bail on Wednesday morning and was released. A preliminary hearing before Judge Edward Tarantelli is scheduled for July 8.
According to court documents filed by Kline Township Police Det. Paul Bowman, officers were on a special assignment covering the Amazon Web Services data center hearing of the township’s Planning Commission on Tuesday night.
During the public comment portion of the hearing, Eachus approached the podium and stated his name and where he lived, in Butler Township, Luzerne County. Immediately, Planning Commission Chairman Henry Matthews struck his gavel to silence Eachus.
The Planning Commission attempted to strictly enforce a rule at its hearing on Tuesday that people with standing – exclusively Kline Township residents and property owners – could speak during the public comment portion.
Eachus, Bowman says, “became loud and began yelling at the commission members. After repeatedly being admonished by the chairman, Eachus only became louder.”
Matthews then ordered that Eachus be removed from the meeting, Bowman says.
Bowman and Ofc. Christopher Daynorowicz then approached Eachus to remove him from the meeting, Bowman says. At that point, Eachus threw several punches, pulled away from the officers, and attempted to bite Bowman’s left arm, he says.
Kline Township Police Chief Justin Farley and Hazleton Area School District Ofc. Kevin Ruby then assisted with taking Eachus into custody. As Eachus was being handcuffed, he allegedly pulled away and pushed Farley into a water fountain in the school’s hallway.
After being handcuffed, Bowman says Eachus continued to struggle, pushing and pulling Bowman and Daynorowicz on the front sidewalk outside the school. As he was being placed into the back of a Kline Township patrol vehicle, Bowman says Eachus requested that his handcuffs be adjusted, to which Bowman says they obliged.
Later, at the police station, Farley told Bowman that Eachus, on his way to the podium, had said to Ruby, “You will have to throw me out.”
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