Trooper Allegedly Detained Ex Under False Pretense of Mental Health Issues; Violent Arrest Video Surfaces

Ronald K. Davis, 37, was arrested on Sept. 21 and now faces multiple charges

Keith Srakocic/AP

A Pennsylvania state police trooper has been suspended and faces criminal charges after authorities allege he forcibly arrested his ex-girlfriend and had her involuntarily committed to a mental health facility under false pretenses.

Ronald K. Davis, 37, was arrested on Sept. 21 and charged with felony strangulation, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and official oppression, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office announced in a press release.

According to a probable cause affidavit shared by the D.A.’s office and reviewed by PEOPLE, Davis, who has been a state police trooper since 2015, asked his fellow troopers on Aug. 21 to have the woman committed after alleging she sent him text messages in which she threatened suicide.

In the press release, prosecutors noted that Davis “is married with a family in Dauphin County,” and that the alleged victim is a woman with whom he had an “intimate relationship.”

Since it was a personal matter, Davis was advised to contact Dauphin County Crisis Intervention. Once the order was approved, a fellow trooper heard Davis saying “I’ll take care of it myself,” the affidavit alleges, before he’s seen on security footage leaving the PSP station with the commitment papers.

Davis, who was off duty at the time, then drove 11 miles to a state forest to confront his ex-girlfriend without waiting for other troopers to arrive, according to the affidavit. There, Davis allegedly tried to arrest her and asked a bystander to record the encounter.

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