New Kensington man accused of hitting woman, officer breaking up fight

A New Kensington man is charged with striking a police officer who was trying to break up a fight Monday night.

New Kensington police charged Lawrence Eugene Meyer Jr., 58, with aggravated assault, simple assault and resisting arrest.

According to a criminal complaint against Meyer, police went to the 400 block of Fifth Avenue around 10 p.m. Monday in response to a 911 call from a man who said he was being kidnapped.

An officer arrived on scene and saw several people fighting in the doorway and on the front steps of a residence. When they refused to comply with officers’ orders to stop fighting, officers began to break up the fight between two men, one of which was Meyer, police said.

Police said Meyer resisted arrest and struck an officer in the area of his right cheek and jaw. Meyer was placed under arrest.

At the scene, police said a woman told them Meyer had punched her in the face. Police said the woman had fresh marks on her left check. She refused medical care, police said.

While being taken to the police station, police said Meyer had a cigarette pack that he tried to kick under the partition of a patrol car. Police said it contained a cigar filled with marijuana.

No charges were found filed against the other man identified as fighting with Meyer.

Meyer did not have an attorney listed in court records.

Meyer was arraigned Tuesday before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. and released on an unsecured $25,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 1.