A Westmoreland County judge ruled this week that charges against a Mt. Pleasant man accused of assaulting two police officers can proceed to trial.

Evidence presented during a preliminary hearing supports allegations that Joe Paul Biller, 37, attacked and threatened officers as they came to his home to arrest him on an outstanding mental health warrant Feb. 10, Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears said.

Mt. Pleasant Borough police claim Biller made racial taunts and abusive threats before he attacked officers with scissors as they attempted to take him into custody.

“Viewing the facts in a light most favorable to the commonwealth, it would appear that, when he raised scissors above his head and approached the officers, he was attempting to stab them or spear them,” Mears wrote.

Biller wanted the judge to dismiss counts of aggravated assault, simple assault and terroristic threats. He did not challenge resisting arrest, harassment and disorderly conduct charges.

Biller has been in jail since his arrest 11 months ago and, in that time, has been charged in three other cases, including allegations that he assaulted nurses at the county jail and a separate case in which, detectives allege, he assaulted a woman during a courtroom incident in September.

Biller also is awaiting trial on allegations that he operated a methamphetamine lab out of his car in 2020.

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