Photo: Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office
A Pennsylvania State Trooper has been arrested for allegedly forcing his ex-girlfriend into a mental health facility against her will. Authorities said that Ronald Davis, 37, used his position to request an involuntary mental health commitment for his ex-girlfriend, identified as M.F. in court documents, falsely claiming that she was suicidal.
After he received the order, Davis decided to detain her himself instead of letting other troopers do it. On August 21, Davis and a civilian found M.F. in a picnic area at a state forest and detained her.
The civilian accompanying Davis filmed as Davis forcefully restrained the woman, using a "wrestling-style hold," as she yelled that she couldn't breathe. She claimed she had no idea why she was being detained.
"Why are you treating me like a criminal?" she asked him at one point.
"You're insane," she told him during the altercation. "You're absolutely insane… and then you paint me to look insane."
Court documents state that the woman suffered injuries to her forehead, torso, back, buttocks, forearms, knee, and lower body. Davis then took the woman to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill, where she was held for five days against her will.
After she was released, she was interviewed by the police. They reviewed text messages in which she did discuss suicide, but only hypothetically. They determined the text messages were not enough of a justification to involuntarily commit her to a mental health facility.
Davis was arrested and is facing charges of felony strangulation, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and official oppression.