Police say a Schuylkill County man was actively violating a PFA order against him and when they tried to confront him about it, he drove away … down a dead-end street.
And when he tried to drive away while cops were trying to take him into custody a short time later, his vehicle didn’t move because the emergency brake was activated and it was in park.
At about 4 a.m. on April 7, police in Pottsville say they were called to an address on Third Ave. for a report of a man playing extremely loud music in a black sedan as he sat in the vehicle. Police say the man inside – identified as Edward “Teddy” Averill, 54, of Pottsville – had an active PFA order against him from someone close by.
Averill, police determined, was violating the terms of the PFA by playing the music and sitting outside the protectee’s home so they went to approach him. As they got near his vehicle, police say Averill attempted the flee the scene but he ended up driving down a dead-end road, which is where he stopped.
Police say Averill ignored multiple commands and requests to comply with officers. And at one point, he just cranked the music louder to drown out police asking him what they could do to get him to comply with them, police say.
As they attempted to take him into custody, police say Averill lowered a window on his vehicle and dropped an unknown object to the ground. With the window down, police say they reached in and tried grabbing Averill’s hands. That’s when Averill allegedly tried putting the pedal to the metal but his vehicle’s emergency brake was activated and it was in park, so that didn’t work, police say.
Police then smashed the passenger-side window of Averill’s vehicle to get access to him. That led to a physical struggle during which Averill allegedly tensed up, grabbing his steering wheel, and pulling away from police. Once they were able to get him under control, police add that Averill had a “hard lead cylinder” in one hand.
Court records show Averill was eventually arraigned on April 17 before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley and is charged with misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, obstruction, and disorderly conduct. Reiley set bail at 10% of $10,000 and remanded him to Schuylkill County Prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 4.
Schuylkill County Crisis & Support Resources
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence, free, confidential, and inclusive help is available 24/7 in Schuylkill County.
- Schuylkill Hope Center (Domestic Violence): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 622-6220, text HOPELINE to 20121, or visit schopecenter.org. Services include emergency shelter, housing assistance, counseling, and legal representation.
- SARCC (Sexual Assault): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 628-2965 or visit sarccheals.org for counseling, advocacy, and healing support for survivors of sexual violence.
- Outside Schuylkill County: Residents across Pennsylvania can find their local domestic violence program at pcadv.org. You can also visit domesticshelters.org to find resources near you.
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