Published: November 19, 2005 12:07 am      

Suspect held in attack on officer

CONFLUENCE — Not even two zaps from a 50,000-volt stun gun and pepper spray could stop a drunken Quecreek man from attacking a Confluence police officer, authorities said.

Lee Elwin Workman Jr., 46, surrendered only after the arrival of state troopers and police from neighboring Summit Township and Meyersdale.

Confluence Officer Thomas Keller said he pulled over a 1987 Pontiac with a loud muffler on Logan Place in Confluence on Thursday night after Workman reportedly made an obscene gesture at the patrolman.

Before Keller got out of his cruiser, Workman, a passenger in the car, assaulted and threatened to kill him, a court document shows.

“I attempted to get out and he attempted to attack me,” Keller said. “He did successfully strike me.”

Keller said he twice used a Taser – a hand-held device that delivers 50,000 volts of electricity – but could not subdue Workman.

He then turned to pepper spray, again without success.

Authorities said Workman was drunk.

“Adrenaline and alcohol are very effective against pepper spray,” Keller said. “Mr. Workman showed no signs of surrendering. It was a bad, bad situation.”

Workman refused to allow an ambulance crew to flush the pepper spray from his eyes, the officer said.

Workman was arraigned by on-call District Judge Arthur K. Cook of Somerset and charged with felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He also was charged with summary public drunkenness.

Workman was sent to the Somerset County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bond.

Charges are pending against Michael Stahl, 19, of Central City, who was driving the vehicle, authorities said.



Patrick Buchnowski can be reached at 445-5103 or pbuchnowski@tribdem.com.