Police chase suspect accused in ramming trooper's car on March 30th, waived most charge, three others withdrawn.

BUTLER TWP — A Butler man accused of ramming a trooper's cruiser after leading police on a chase waived to court Thursday most of his charges, including a pair of felonies.

Prosecutors, however, withdrew two other criminal charges — one a felony — that accused David R. Coleman, 50, of Butler of driving while impaired at the time.

Those charges were dropped, said Terri Schultz, a county assistant district attorney, because of what police told her the toxicology reports showed — a blood-alcohol level of about 0.01 percent, “or something like that.”

Reportedly, she also said, there were no drugs in Coleman's system.

He still faces a top count of aggravated assault on a police officer.

State police arrested the defendant following the alleged chase that began in Butler about 4:30 p.m. March 30 when investigators say he allegedly ran a stop sign.

He intentionally rammed a cruiser driven by Trooper Kevin Goss' cruiser, according to court documents. Goss was injured and taken to Butler Memorial Hospital.

Coleman on Thursday opted to give up his right to a preliminary hearing on the advice of his attorney, public defender Joseph Smith, who learned that prosecutors were withdrawing three charges.

In addition to aggravated assault, Coleman waived to court a felony count of fleeing or attempting to elude police, misdemeanor counts of child endangerment, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest, and a list of other traffic violations.

His next scheduled court appearance is June 5 when he will be formally arraigned in Butler County Court.

A full story will appear in the Butler Eagle.