A married Pennsylvania State Police trooper is facing false imprisonment charges after he allegedly violently detained his ex-girlfriend and committed her to a mental health treatment program under bogus claims.
Ronald Davis, 37, was arrested Thursday on accusations he abused his authority to carry out the twisted takedown that left his former girlfriend improperly stuck in a medical facility for multiple days, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office said.
Davis reportedly told her: “I know you’re not crazy, I’ll paint you as crazy” leading up to the forced medical treatment, the victim claimed, according to court documents released by the district attorney’s office.
His quest to have his ex committed began on Aug. 21 when he sought help from fellow troopers because he said the victim — identified by the district attorney as M.F. — had mental health problems, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
On advice from state police, Davis, then off-duty at the time, contacted county officials with his police email account and identified himself as a trooper, to successfully obtain an order after he submitted purported texts from her where she threatened suicide, according to the court docs.
Once he got the order approved, the trooper went after the woman, who he had dated for about four months, before uniformed troopers reached her, authorities alleged.
“I’ll take care of it myself,” he allegedly said.
Davis and a civilian companion found the victim in a picnic area at a state forest where he picked her up and carried her to his car before the two struggled on the ground, the affidavit states.
Davis is seen sitting on top of his ex-beau as she claimed he tackled her to the ground, according to the footage captured by the man with Davis and released by the DA’s office. She also said she didn’t need help, but wanted to get away from the cop.
“You’re insane,” she said. “You’re absolutely insane … and then you paint me to look insane.”
As she made a move to get free, Davis manhandled her and kept her on the ground in a “wrestling-style hold,” the footage shows, according to authorities. She said more than once “I can’t breathe” as he was on top of her.
When the two got up, Davis restrained her as she said repeatedly how she didn’t do anything wrong, according to the sickening footage.
“Why are you treating me like a criminal?” she said before uniformed officers arrived and took her to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill.
M.F. appeared to “genuinely lack understanding on why she is being restrained,” the affidavit states.
She suffered injuries to her forehead, torso, back, buttocks, forearms, knee and lower body, according to the document.
The ex-girlfriend was involuntarily committed for five days and did not display any suicidal thoughts during that time, according to medical personnel.
She was released on Aug. 26 and was subsequently interviewed by police.
Once cops saw an exchange of messages between the pair, they didn’t think there was cause to force her into treatment, police said.
Her purported “suicidal” messages that Davis used against her appeared to be hypothetical in nature and part of a larger argument over their deteriorating relationship, authorities said.
“While Trooper Davis provided text messages from [the victim] … and purported them to be suicidal, he failed to provide the full context of those messages,” the affidavit alleged. “In fact, the text messages were the culmination of a larger, domestic dispute between he and the victim. Taken in context, the texts revealed her frustration with Trooper Davis and his controlling behavior … not a true desire to harm herself.”
Davis, who prosecutors said is married with a family, is facing charges of felony strangulation, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and official oppression.
He was remanded without bail following an arraignment Thursday, the DA’s office said.
