Community Corner

Man Tasered After Allegedly Pulling Knife on Lansdale Resident

Airen Emfinger, 22, of Weikel Road, Towamencin, allegedly pulled a knife on a West Mount Vernon Street resident, ran from the police and was subsequently tasered

Airen Kevin Emfinger, 22, of the 700 block of Weikel Road in , was tasered by a Lansdale Police officer following a foot chase across the west ward of the borough after he allegedly pulled a knife on a Lansdale resident.

Emfinger was arraigned before District Judge James Gallagher on the following misdemeanor charges:

  • Simple Assault
  • Prohibited Offensive Weapon
  • Possessing an Instrument of Crime
  • Terroristic Threats
  • Resisting Arrest
  • Recklessly Endangering Another Person
  • Harassment
  • Disorderly Conduct
  • Public Drunkenness (summary charge)

Bail was set at $5,000 cash and Emfinger was taken to Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post bail, police said.

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A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 15 at 10 a.m.

Emfinger has had four criminal cases filed in Montgomery County District Court since October 2009, according to court records.

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He got off on robbery and burglary charges in 2010 in Souderton Borough, but pleaded guilty to criminal defiant trespassing and was sentenced to 206 days to 12 months in prison, according to court records.

Here's what went down:

On June 5, at around 7:21 p.m., Lansdale Police were dispatched to the area of West Mount Vernon Street and Salford Avenue for a report of a subject armed with a knife.

A resident told police that a group of three black males and a white female were involved in a disturbance in the area, police said.

Residents reported that one of the males had displayed a knife, police said. 

Upon police arrival, witnesses told police the suspects had fled the area in different directions. 

Two of the males were seen walking away from the area of South Mitchell Avenue eastbound in the alley between West Mount Vernon Street and Salford Avenue, police said. A third male was seen running northbound on South Mitchell Avenue toward York Avenue, police said.

Witnesses told polcie they had heard the sound of glass breaking and then multiple subjects laughing in the area of West Mount Vernon Street and Salford Avenue, police said.

Witnesses saw the subjects in the area and found a broken glass bottle of Taylor port wine in the middle of the intersection, police said.

The four suspect then reportedly walked eastbound on West Mount Vernon Street and began pushing and pulling on a "For Sale" sign posted in front of a home, police said. The sign eventually came out.

The suspects then began looking inside a work truck that was parked in the area, police said.

A resident approached the group and told the suspects they should replace the sign that was removed, police said. The resident said he was then approached by Emfinger, who became extremely aggressive with the witness and began arguing with him, police said.

Emfinger allegedly threatened to break the resident's jaw, police said.

Another witness said Emfinger allegedly began walking toward him, and he could see an object partially concealed in Emfinger's right hand, police said.

Emfinger then allegedly stepped onto the witnesses' front yard and was close enough for them to see that Emfinger had a knife, police said.

The witness asked if Emfinger had a knife, to which Emfinger allegedly said, "Fucking A, it's a knife," police said. Emfinger then allegedly held the knife out ot his right side, police said.

The witnesses retreated to call 911.

Emfinger was found by police several blocks away from the scene, police said. When police approached Emfinger, he allegedly ran toward West Main Street.

On the 500 block of West Main Street, Emfinger ran into the driver's side of a moving vehicle, causing him to fall to the ground, police said.

Emfinger then stood up and allegedly continued to run northbound from police, police said.

An officer made contact with Emfinger and ordered him to the ground, police said.

Emfinger allegedly refused and began approaching the officer, police said, in "an ever quickening pace."

The officer subdued Emfinger with a Taser, and he was taken into custody.

A knife was found in his possession, police said.

The other two males were identified as Richard Stroud, 19, of the 700 block of Widener Street, Philadelphia, and Jerimiah White, 19, of the 1000 block of Stoneham Circle, Hatfield Township, police said.

Stroud and White were taken into custody and charged with public drunkenness, underage drinking and disorderly conduct, police said.

Both were lodged at Lansdale Police Department.

Stroud had a probation detainer lodged against him as a result of the charges and he was transported to Montgomery County Correctional Facility, police said.


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