A Columbus man accused of assaulting three officers while they were in the line of duty recently pleaded not guilty to a string of offenses in Platte County District Court.
Patrick E. Burling, 30, is accused of being in possession of a controlled substance, a Class IV felony, punishable by up to 2 years in prison; theft by receiving stolen property in the amount of $501-$1,499, a Class I misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in prison; and three counts of assaulting a police officer using a motor vehicle, Class IIIA felonies, punishable by up to three years of incarceration.
While on routine patrol, an officer with the Columbus Police Department had his attention drawn to a vehicle stopped in the road just south of Sixth Street on 30th Avenue, according to a warrantless arrest affidavit. The particular area was located next to an abandoned home and wooded area and was a suspicious location to be parked, according to the officer’s official report.
People are also reading…
After circling the block and returning to the vicinity, the Oldsmobile first seen was still in the area and the officer observed it was equipped with expired license plates, court records show. The plates were an older style no longer issued and had expired in 2017.
Contact was subsequently made with a male driver and female passenger. The male driver couldn’t produce a valid license and immediately became defensive about what he was doing wrong, according to court records. The driver, later identified as the defendant, claimed that it wasn’t his vehicle and that he wasn’t even driving it, although the engine was running, transmission was in drive and the driver’s foot was on the brake, court records show.
Burling then proceeded to turn off the vehicle and remained combative, stating that he only turned on the vehicle to move it out of the way because he thought the officer was trying to get by him..
Neither party would show any identification and the defendant then reached down by his side and grabbed something and then got out of the vehicle and tried to leave. The officer, court records show, called for backup and attempted to pin the driver against the vehicle to prevent him from leaving. The defendant proceeded to start fighting with the officer and ultimately broke free.
While eventually being detained, the defendant allegedly assaulted two other responding officers. He was originally charged with nine offenses, but that number was ultimately amended to five, four of which are felony offenses.
The defendant is being held on a $250,000 bond with a 10 percent option, meaning he would need to pay $25,000 to be released prior to his scheduled Aug. 5 jury trial.
In other district court news:
*Scott D. Sabin Jr., 20, of Columbus, pleaded not guilty to making terroristic threats, a Class IIIA felony; using a firearm to commit a felony, a Class IC felony, punishable by up to 50 years in prison; and felony stalking, a Class IIIA felony.
Just before 9 p.m. on May 7, an officer with the Columbus Police Department was dispatched to speak with an alleged victim who claimed that he had just been threatened by a man with a rifle 10 minutes earlier. The incident, court records show, happened outside of an apartment complex located in the 2600 block of 47th Ave. The reporting party said that Sabin lived at the apartment and that he had damaged his mailbox the night earlier, according to a warrantless arrest affidavit.
Court records show that the reporting party went to the apartment complex parking lot to see if he could see any damage on the defendant’s pickup truck. While in the parking lot, the alleged victim stopped and spoke to an acquaintance.
The defendant reportedly saw the activity in the parking lot and came out of the building with a long gun presumed to be a rifle. The defendant allegedly waived around the gun and pointed at the reporting person’s vehicle, which the reporting party ultimately drove away because he feared for his life, court records show.
Officers spoke with the victim’s wife, who court record show told police she heard the defendant say that he was going to shoot the reporting party if he came back to his apartment.
Contact was made with Sabin and he claimed that he feared for his life when he saw the reporting party outside of his apartment, so he retrieved his rifle from his apartment and then put it back into his truck, court records show. The defendant claimed that he may have waived the rifle when he carried it but denied pointing it at anyone.
Inside of Sabin’s pickup truck, a CPD officer located an Olympic Arms PCR 02 semi-automatic weapon that contained a magazine loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition, which was seized as evidence.
The defendant is scheduled for an Aug. 5 jury trial.
*Jason E. Costa, 36, of Lincoln, is scheduled to make a plea on July 26 relating to him being charged with attempted second-degree assault, a Class IIIA felony. Court records show that the defendant allegedly assaulted a person on Jan. 14 at the Platte County Jail.
*Tatyanna M. Leroy, 26, pleaded not guilty to first-degree forgery, a Class III felony, punishable by up to four years in prison. Court records show that the defendant attempted to use two counterfeit $20 bills at Cubby’s Convenience Store in the 4800 block of Howard Boulevard. She is scheduled for an Aug. 5 jury trial.
Other recent criminal sentencings:
Benjamin King, 23, Columbus, possession marijuana one ounce or less - 2nd; $400 and court costs.
Yarikxa Salazar, 25, Columbus, driving under suspension;$50 fine, court costs.
Ismael Ruiz, 28, Columbus, driving under suspension; $75 fine, court costs.
Alicia Alvarado, 37, Columbus, acts declared unlawful-license/driving; $75 fine, court costs.
Derek Baker, 29, Cameron, Missouri, unauthorized use propelled vehicle - 1st; $75 fine, court costs.
Christopher Duhachek, 38, Newman Grove, reckless driving 1st; jail 2 days, $250 fine, court costs; violate harassment protection order, jail 5 days.
Rafael Espino, 21, Columbus, possession marijuana one ounce or less, 1st; $300 fine, court costs.
Jaide Korus, 24, Columbus, possession marijuana one ounce or less, 1st; $300 fine, court costs.
Zachary Price, 33, Norfolk, hunt/fish/fur harvest without permit; $100 fine, court costs.
Dino Alai, 25, Columbus, driving during revocation, jail 7 days, probation 30 days; criminal mischief $501-1,499, jail 45 days, restitution $500; driving during revocation, $175; speeding 11-15 mph over, $150 fine, court costs.
Andrew Braun, 21, Humphrey, two counts attempt class IV felony; jail 60 days with credit for 19 days served on each count (concurrent); possession marijuana once ounce or less, $300.
Lizette Haynes, 41, David City, theft-shoplifting $0-500 2nd; jail 7 days, restitution $251.40, court costs.
Carlos Loarca-Escobar, 31, Omaha, driving under suspension; $150 fine, court costs.
Alexis Maneely, 21, Duncan, theft-lost property $0-500; $225 fine, restitution $300, court costs.
Jeffery Olson, 62, Rising City, no proof insurance; $50 fine, court costs.
Sam Pimper is the news editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at sam.pimper@lee.net.