Dennis R. John Jr.

A man accused of twice fleeing from police fought officers during his arrest Thursday, according to charging documents.

Dennis R. John Jr., 46, of Franklin Township, received three separate sets of charges last week, leading up to his arrest early Thursday morning in Butler Township.

An alleged altercation with police during his arrest led to John's most recent charges, which include felony aggravated assault as well as misdemeanors of resisting arrest, drug possession and drug paraphernalia possession.

He is being held in Butler County Prison on a combined $15,000 bond between the three cases.

According to charging documents filed Thursday by Butler Township police, officers received information around 12:17 a.m. about John hiding near the Sheetz in Butler Township, along with a friend named Kevin.Police said that in a used car lot near the Sheetz, they found a blue Dodge Ram, and officers thought they recognized John in the passenger seat.Police said they stopped the vehicle and spoke with the driver, identified as Kevin Vlassich, and his passenger.“The passenger was hard to see because he kept looking away from me and was wearing a ball cap low on the front of his head, covering his face,” said the investigating officer.Police said another township officer, one who had filed one of the other cases against John, arrived at the scene and identified John as the passenger.On Sept. 18, John had two run-ins with police in which he fled from them, according to court documents in those cases.

According to charging documents filed Sept. 21 by state police, around 3 p.m. Sept. 18 John drove a white work van behind a state police cruiser. Police said he was driving fast and close behind them.“The white work van began to abruptly swerve behind me, and the operator was gesturing with his hands behind the wheel,” said the investigating trooper in the affidavit. “As we approached the split to (Route) 422, where it turns into a four-lane highway, the operator immediately jerked his vehicle to the left and passed me, nearly clipping my bumper.”Police said they then tried to pull the vehicle over.Police said John tried to pass himself off as his father, and when the trooper called for backup, sped away mid-stop. Police said they had also noticed John was talking fast and had dilated pupils during the stop.Police said they pursued John for a brief period, but terminated the chase when John reached speeds as high as 90 mph and was weaving in and out of traffic. Police said they later visited John's father and confirmed he was not the driver, noting Dennis John Jr. has a suspended driver's license.In this case, state police charged John with felony fleeing from officers and misdemeanor false identification, along with other traffic violations.

On the same day, Butler Township police spotted John around 10:29 p.m. in the parking lot of Speedway in Butler Township, according to charging documents filed Sept. 19.“John noticed the (officer), and immediately put his gray hood from his gray hooded sweatshirt over his head in an attempt to conceal his identity,” said the investigating officer in the affidavit. “John began to pace inside Speedway and outside of Speedway, appearing nervous.”Police said as they called for backup, John entered his vehicle and drove out of the Speedway parking lot. Police said they followed in an attempt to pull the van over, but again officers terminated their pursuit because John began driving erratically through the city and picking up speed.Police said John was located again, walking on a sidewalk on West Wayne Street. Police said John ran away from officers and was not found; however, his van was located in the parking lot of the Butler Eagle.Police said they impounded the van, inside which they later found paraphernalia consistent with crack cocaine use.In this case, township police charged John with felony fleeing from police and misdemeanors, including reckless endangerment, driving on a suspended license and drug paraphernalia possession.

While neither of the two earlier cases involved violence, John is accused of fighting officers during his arrest Thursday.Butler Township police said both John and Vlassich were arguing with police about why they were stopped. Police said both claimed they were just turning around in the lot.Police said John was less cooperative than Vlassich, and at one point, he identified himself as “Tim.”According to documents, once John was properly identified, police told him he was under arrest, and the arrest became physical as John started pushing and pulling away from officers.“This caused me to trip, and we both fell to the ground,” said the investigating officer in the affidavit. “John ended up on top of me and began punching me in the side of my body.”Police said fearing for his life, the officer proceeded to punch John in the face, and eventually he was able to push John off to the side, where the other officer used a Taser.“John continued resisting, punching and struggling with officers as we tried to handcuff him,” police said.As the incident came to an end, police said the attacked officer suffered an injury to his elbow, and John had injuries to his nose and face.Police said that after his arrest they found drug paraphernalia and four tubes containing suspected crack cocaine.Vlassich, who was not mentioned in the altercation with police, was also charged with misdemeanor hindering apprehension.The first of John's preliminary hearings is scheduled Wednesday before District Judge William O'Donnell.