Mariana Forteza Site

Thousands of people flocked to downtown State College on a sunny Saturday afternoon to celebrate Pride and the LGBTQ community.



Presented by Centre LGBTQA Support Network, Downtown State College Improvement District and State College Borough, the third annual State College Pride <a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/community/parade-festival-among-state-college-pride-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">included</a> a parade of colorful floats and marchers through town and a festival in Sidney Friedman Park, among other events throughout the weekend.



State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, served as grand marshal of the parade and festival. A frequent visitor to Centre County, Kenyatta is the first openly LGBTQ person of color elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.



He called 2023 &#8220;probably the most important year for Pride in a really long time,&#8221; noting a vocal anti-LGBTQ contingent and legislation in a number of states, particularly related to transgender individuals. 



&#8220;In this moment, in this Pride year, what we are doing right now, showing up with joy in our hearts, showing up for and with each other in real community, that is critical right now,&#8221; Kenyatta said. &#8220;Because this is actually what our communities look like. This is actually where most people are&#8230; Do not believe the noise and the nonsense that most people are as hateful and vitriolic as some of the politicians who unfortunately get elected&#8230;. For Pride, it’s really critical for us as a community that we recognize our joy does not exist in contrast to their hatred.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-kenyatta-lane-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424953"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, State College Pride grand marshal, and Judge Timika Lane lead the 2023 Pride parade. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



Pennsylvania, Kenyatta said, should aspire to be the best place to live, raise a family and retire for everyone, including LGBTQ people.



&#8220;We deserve to be happy, to be joyous, to be just who you are every single day, no matter what they’re talking about, no matter what they’re doing,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You just be who the hell you are.&#8221;



State College Mayor Ezra Nanes acknowledged that some in attendance may be feeling scared, worried or uncertain because of events nationally. 



&#8220;It’s OK to feel that,&#8221; Nanes said. &#8220;I want you to know that me, Ezra Nanes, my family, the Borough of State College, we are here for you. We will always be here for you. We’re going to keep building on the amazing work that you’ve already done, that we’ve already done together.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-3-1024x751.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424937"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-8-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424942"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



Nanes issued a proclamation last week declaring June as Pride Month in the borough, and as the parent of an LGBTQ child, he called Pride &#8220;not just principle,&#8221; but also personal.



&#8220;One of the greatest joys in life, whether you’re a parent or a sibling or just an adult with a child in your life that matters, is supporting that child in discovering who they are,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think that’s a really important principle of what Pride is, that we all believe in helping people discover themselves, not telling them who they should be.&#8221;



State Rep. Paul Takac, D-Lemont, said Pride is also personal for him and his family and called it a &#8220;joyful occasion.



&#8220;This represents the absolute best of what State College is and can be,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This sets the standard for what every day should be like. You are not only seen, you are not only accepted, but you should be celebrated and you should be loved. If we could bottle today and make every day like that, wouldn’t this be a better world, a better place to be?&#8221;



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<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">Scenes from the 2023 Pride parade in downtown State College. Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



Timika Lane, a Philadelphia judge who is running for Pennsylvania Superior Court in November, emphasized the importance of individuals making their voices heard to ensure all are treated with dignity and respect.



&#8220;We have to decide in Pennsylvania, what is it going to be? Are we going to be a place of love or are we going to be a place of hate?&#8230; Your voice matters,&#8221; Lane said.



Kenyatta urged those in attendance to be true to themselves, knowing that it will inspire someone else to do the same.



&#8220;If we lift each other up, if we encourage each other to be brave, if we remind ourselves that we are the majority of this commonwealth, that we are the majority of this nation, when we do that then we will continue to pull this nation closer to making the ideals of freedom, justice and fairness real for everybody,&#8221; he said. &#8220;No matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter who you love, no matter how you worship or choose not to, here in Pennsylvania it’s about you getting a fair shot and a fair shake. We’re going to keep doing that together.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-9-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424943"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



State College Pride has grown substantially since it was first held in 2021. Last year it drew an estimated 4,000 people and organizers expected that number would increase again for the third edition.



The <a href="https://www.centrelgbtqa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centre LGBTQA Support Network</a> (CLSN), which was founded in 2014, has been instrumental in that, as well as in providing resources year round. Sue Marshall, a founding member and current board secretary, said planning for next year&#8217;s Pride will start next week.



In the shorter term, however, CLSN will be celebrating another advancement. A long-planned LGBTQ center for downtown State College will open sometime in August at the corner of Calder Way and South Pugh Street, Marshall said.



&#8220;We can’t wait,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We will have a big opening celebration.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-anchor-arrow-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424949"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Community members danced while Anchor &amp; Arrow played at the 2023 State College Pride festival on Saturday, June 10, in Sidney Friedman Park. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>

‘Showing Up with Joy in Our Hearts.’ State College Celebrates Pride

There may be just one person who claims not to know who will start at quarterback for Penn State football when the team begins its season against West Virginia on Sept. 2.



While Drew Allar has been set as the presumed successor to longtime starting quarterback Sean Clifford since the day that he stepped onto Penn State’s campus in January 2022, James Franklin didn’t declare a winner to the Nittany Lions’ quarterback competition with 86 days until the season opener.



“We have competition at every single position, every single year, returning starter or not,” Franklin told the media on Thursday. “I think that’s the right thing to do.”



Allar’s competition at the position is Beau Pribula, who, like Allar, was a member of the Nittany Lions’ recruiting Class of 2022. The difference between the two was that Allar was a five-star recruit by the time he arrived on campus. Pribula was a three-star.



More recently, Allar took snaps behind Clifford in the 2022 season. The youngster played in enough games that he was unable to take a redshirt season. By contrast, Pribula didn’t take a snap in a Penn State game until the Blue-White Game in April, when he attempted 22 of his 27 passes with second-string players.



Franklin’s hesitation to name a starter isn’t surprising. Entering his 10th year with Penn State, Franklin wants competition at the position. It’s likely that Allar will only stick around Penn State for two more years. Franklin will need someone to step up when the Ohio native is gone.



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It’s a situation that Franklin has had before. From 2016-17, he had running backs Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders on the same roster. Barkley was a shout for a Heisman candidate in college, and when Sanders turned pro, he reached last season’s Super Bowl as the starting running back for the Philadelphia Eagles.



At Penn State, Barkley was the evident starter. But Franklin said that competition between the two made them both better. If Franklin has his way, the same will happen to Allar and Pribula.



“I think at times there may have been some frustration with that, but I truly believe that type of competition in college really set them up to be successful in the NFL,” Franklin said. “[Barkley] always had somebody behind him trying to take reps away from him. And [Sanders], as a young player, was trying to overtake [Barkley]. So I think that is a healthy position to be in.”



Franklin also has to answer the question of how he’ll use each quarterback. As Mike Yurcich, Penn State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach said at the same press conference, each quarterback has different styles. Gameplans have to be tailored to those styles.



Allar’s been described as a quarterback who’s steady in the pocket. Teammates have raved about his ability to place passes in locations where only a receiver can catch them. Allar can be mobile but his arm is what really sets him apart from the pack.



Pribula, however, is described as athletic. He’s the quarterback that Franklin and Yurcich could turn to when they need to push a pile or in a situation that calls for a mobile quarterback. He’s the Nittany Lions’ alternate.



However Franklin plays the two quarterbacks, it will likely be some time before Penn State fans have an answer to the question that’s hung over the program for more than a year. Franklin noted that he wanted Clifford to compete for a starting role for the six years that the recent&nbsp;<a href="https://onwardstate.com/2023/04/29/sean-clifford-drafted-no-149-overall-by-green-bay-packers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NFL draftee</a>&nbsp;spent in Happy Valley. The same will apply to Allar.



If Franklin has 86 days to name a starter against the Mountaineers, he may just use all 86.

‘We Have Competition at Every Single Position’: Penn State Quarterback Question Still Unanswered

Pennsylvania State Police on Sunday identified the state trooper who was killed and another who was critically injured in separate but related shootings Saturday in Juniata County. Officials also identified the shooter, who died in a gunfire exchange with troopers after an hours-long manhunt.



Trooper Jacques F. Rougeau Jr., 29, was ambushed and killed by the shooter at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Walker Township, Juniata County, Lt. Col. George Bivens, state police deputy commissioner, said at a press conference on Sunday. Lt. James A. Wagner, 45, is in critical condition at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center after being shot by the same assailant earlier in the afternoon in Mifflintown.



&#8220;Our hearts and prayers are with these brave troopers and their families,&#8221; state police Commissioner Christopher Paris said. &#8220;Their dedication and service to the commonwealth and its residents will always be remembered.&#8221;



Paris and Bivens also identified the shooter as 38-year-old Brandon Stine, of Thompsontown. The investigation is ongoing and no motive has been confirmed.



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At about 11 a.m. on Saturday, Stine drove a pickup truck into the parking lot of the Troop G Lewistown barracks in Mifflintown and fired multiple rounds from a long rifle at marked patrol vehicles, Paris said. State police identified Stine and immediately began a search that included a helicopter.



Wagner, who is based at the Bedford barracks and was serving in a supervisory role for the day for the multi-county Troop G, joined the search and located Stine in Mifflintown. During the encounter, Stine shot and critically injured Wagner. Witnesses used Stine&#8217;s radio to call for help and police, EMTs and citizens rendered life-saving aid. Wagner was taken to Lewistown Hospital then life-flighted to Hershey.



During the ensuing manhunt, Stine &#8220;was playing somewhat of a game of cat-and-mouse,&#8221; Bivens said.



&#8220;There were phone calls. There were attempts to try to negotiate with him,&#8221; Bivens said. &#8220;But there were phone calls from him providing a location and then he wouldn’t be there. He seemed to be setting our people up for ambush.&#8221;



Rougeau, who was stationed at the Lewistown barracks, was part of the search and was traveling on Baumgardner Drive when Stine ambushed him from the area of Swamp Road, fatally shooting the trooper through the windshield of his patrol car, according to Bivens.



Rougeau died at the scene.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Rougeau-819x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-425896"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">State police trooper Jacques F. Rougeau Jr. was shot and killed on Saturday in Juniata County.</figcaption></figure>



Stine escaped and was flushed out of a rural residential area by troopers. He then drove into the parking lot of Harshbargers restaurant in Mifflintown, where troopers used their vehicles and engaged Stine to force him away from members of the public who were outside the business.



Troopers and Stine exchanged gunfire at the edge of the parking lot. Stine then drove across Baumgardner Drive and through a residential yard, where he got stuck against a row of trees and was killed in a shootout with troopers.



&#8220;What I witnessed, and I will tell you in my many years with the Pennsylvania State Police and many serious situations, was one of the most intense, unbelievable gunfights I have ever witnessed,&#8221; Bivens, who was in the helicopter during the search, said.



&#8220;Dozens and dozens&#8221; of troopers responded to the incident, according to Bivens.



&#8220;I want to stress to you that what I saw out there, with our people putting themselves in harm’s way, was an amazing thing,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They kept the residents, the customers of that store safe and did so by standing between those folks and Stine.&#8221;



Rougeau, who was married, enlisted in the state police in June 2020 and was initially assigned to Troop J, York before transferring to Troop G, Lewistown in March. He is the 104th member of the Pennsylvania State Police to die in the line of duty.



Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered all commonwealth flags to half-staff until Rougeau&#8217;s interment.



Wagner, a 21-year state police veteran, is the station commander at Troop G, Bedford. An active member of the Naval Reserve, Wagner and his wife have three sons who are each on active duty with the U.S. Coast Guard.



Paris declined to say whether Stine was known to state police before Saturday.

State Police Identify Troopers Killed, Wounded in Juniata County Shootings

Updated 6:24 p.m. on June 14 with comment from a Penn State spokesperson.



A State College man is facing charges after he was allegedly caught on camera performing lewd acts with a dog in Rothrock State Forest.



Themis Matsoukas, a 64-year-old professor of chemical engineering at Penn State&#8217;s University Park campus, was charged on Monday in Huntingdon County with misdemeanor counts of open lewdness, indecent exposure and sexual intercourse with an animal, as well as summary counts of cruelty to animals and disorderly conduct.



Matsoukas &#8220;has been relieved of his responsibilities and is on leave&#8221; from the university, a Penn State spokesperson said.



According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by a Department of Conservation and Natural Resources ranger, the DCNR installed a trail camera in the parking lot of the Alan Seeger Natural Area in Jackson Township on April 12 to identify individuals who were stealing bags of hand sanitizer from public restrooms.



Around 8 p.m. the following day, the camera captured multiple brief videos that allegedly showed a man later identified as Matsoukas — who was naked, except for a ski mask, wrist watch, boots and backpack — masturbating near the women&#8217;s restroom and then engaging in a sexual act with a dog. The videos also showed that Matsoukas appeared to be recording himself with an iPad.



Matsoukas&#8217;s location was within viewing distance of a road frequently used by visitors to the Alan Seeger picnic area, leased camps, Penn Roosevelt State Park and the Greenwood Fire Tower, according to the affidavit.



Owners of two private camps surrounded by Rothrock also contacted state forest staff when they discovered images from their trail cameras of a man who was nude from the waist down, a ranger wrote. The six photos dated back as far as 2014 and investigators identified Matsoukas as the man in each, according to the affidavit.



Matsoukas again appeared on the DCNR trail camera on May 16 and he was identified by his vehicle registration.



Investigators executed a search warrant for Matsoukas&#8217;s State College-area home on June 9 and found an iPad, backpack, ski mask, watch and boots, all of which appeared to match those observed in the video. A dog at the home also had identical characteristics of the one in the video, according to the affidvait.



Matsoukas allegedly denied having the items when investigators first arrived, but then became upset and said &#8220;I do it to blow off steam.&#8221;



A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 19.

Penn State Professor Accused of Performing Lewd Acts with Dog in State Forest

State College police on Monday charged two Warriors Mark men for their alleged involvement in <a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/local-news/police-crime/state-college-police-searching-for-two-involved-in-setting-dumpster-fire/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a May dumpster fire</a> that caused thousands of dollars in damage.



Arthur E. Forshey, 68, and Austin T. Osborne, 26, are both charged with misdemeanor counts of failure to prevent catastrophe. Osborne also is charged with misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person and criminal mischief.



Police and Alpha Fire Company were dispatched at about 10:50 a.m. on May 12 to 403 Locust Lane where a dumpster behind a fraternity house was fully engulfed in flames that were nearing an overhead power line and within feet of the residence, according to an affidavit of probable cause. 



Several witnesses reported seeing two men who appeared to be dumpster diving for scrap metal minutes before the fire and who were traveling in a red pickup truck, according to the affidavit. 



Home security camera footage showed two men arriving in a red Honda pickup, police wrote. The video then showed one man in the dumpster and one man standing outside. The man inside the dumpster allegedly could be heard saying he found a working lighter, and then white smoke began to rise.



The man inside the dumpster began stomping in the area of the smoke, before the two men drove away in the pickup as smoke continued to billow, police wrote.



The fire caused more than $4,600 in damage, according to the affidavit, including $3,542 for repairs to the dumpster, $355 to replace large roller recycling bins and $716 to repair a melted soffit at the rear entrance of the house.



After police issued a media release on May 14 seeking the public&#8217;s help identifying the two men, Forshey came forward on May 16 as the owner of the pickup and said he was the man standing outside the dumpster, police wrote. Another report identified the other man as Osborne.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/dumpster-fire-1024x626.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-421929"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">State College police released images of two men who were at a Locust Lane dumpster when it caught fire on May 12, 2023.</figcaption></figure>



In an interview with an investigator the following day, the men said they are neighbors and sometimes get together to collect scrap metal. Forshey allegedly claimed that &#8220;he was unaware of any fire, even though the video showed noticeable smoke coming from the dumpster while Forshey stood outside it,&#8221; police wrote.



Osborne initially said he was smoking a cigarette that caused the contents of the dumpster to catch fire, according to the affidavit. After being told no cigarette could be seen in the video, he allegedly admitted that he found a lighter inside the dumpster and struck it to see if it worked, causing the fire.



He tried to stomp the fire out but was unsuccessful. He allegedly said he should have reported the fire but &#8220;was scare of what consequences he may face due to being on probation.&#8221;



Both men were charged via summons. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 12.

Two Charged in Connection with State College Dumpster Fire

State College police are looking for a driver involved in a hit-and-run crash earlier this month.



The driver of the car pictured above struck three parked motorcycles at about 11:50 a.m. on June 2 on the 200 block of South Allen Street, according to a media release.



Anyone who may have information about the case is asked to contact the State College Police Department at (814) 234-7150, by <a href="mailto:police@statecollegepa.us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">email</a> or by submitting an anonymous tip <a href="https://www.statecollegepa.us/241/Past-Crime-Report-or-Anonymous-Tip" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">online</a>.

State College Police Seeking Hit-and-Run Suspect

State Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, has introduced legislation that would protect K-9 officers from heat-related deaths inside law enforcement vehicles.



<a href="https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2023&amp;sInd=0&amp;body=H&amp;type=B&amp;bn=1334">The bill</a>, which was referred to the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee this week, would require emergency vehicles transporting a K-9 officer be fitted with heat-detection devices that would trigger an alarm, honk the car horn and automatically lower the windows when a certain temperature is reached.



“The tragic loss of a police K-9 to overheating <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/k9-dog-dies-heat-patrol-car-broken-ac-cobb-county-georgia-police/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in Georgia</a> [on Monday] is a somber reminder of the dangers our K-9 officers face, not just in Pennsylvania, but across the country,” Conklin said in a statement. “These loyal dogs risk their lives to protect and serve, and we must do our part to ensure their safety.”



Conklin dubbed the legislation &#8220;Totti&#8217;s Law&#8221; for a 2-year-old Department of Corrections drug interdiction dog that <a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/local-news/corrections-officer-found-guilty-of-animal-cruelty-in-drug-dogs-death/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">died in July 2016</a> in Centre County. A 2-year-old yellow labrador retriever, Totti was left inside a car for three nearly hours following a training exercise at Rockview state prison. After Totti was discovered, emergency care was administered and the dog was taken to a veterinarian, but he died of a heat-related seizure several hours later.



“This proposed legislation draws from painful experiences,” Conklin said. “Integrating these heat-detection devices into our police vehicles would prevent future tragedies, providing a safer environment for our K-9 officers.”



The devices, which are already used by some law enforcement agencies, cost an estimated $900, which Conklin called a small investment compared to the $20,000 it costs to train a police dog. But Conklin said the concern goes well beyond finances.



&#8220;Our K-9 officers are an invaluable resource,&#8221; Conklin noted. &#8220;Preserving their safety and well-being is not just a fiscal matter – it&#8217;s a moral obligation.&#8221;

Conklin Introduces ‘Totti’s Law’ to Protect Police Dogs from Heat-Related Deaths

Police arrested a Port Matilda man early Monday morning after he allegedly stabbed a 16-year-old at a State College apartment complex.



State College police officers responded at about 1 a.m. to Parkway Plaza, 3000 Plaza Drive, where the teen said he was stabbed by a male later identified as Emanuel Cespedes, 18.



The teen said he was with two other juveniles and Cespedes in an apartment and stepped out onto the balcony. When he returned, Cespedes allegedly punched him in the face and yelled &#8220;you set me up to get robbed.&#8221; While the teen was on the ground, Cespedes continued assaulting him with what appeared to be a machete, according to an affidavit of probable cause. 



Police said Cespedes and the other two juveniles then left the apartment with the teen&#8217;s backpack.



The teen&#8217;s injuries included lacerations on his shoulder, ankle and arm, according to the affidavit. He was taken by ambulance to UPMC Altoona for treatment and has since been released, police said.



According to the affidavit, a vehicle matching the description of Cespedes&#8217; car was spotted on the 100 block of South Pugh Street. Officers, one of whom recognized Cespedes from a prior traffic stop, initially made &#8220;a mere encounter contact&#8221; with Cespedes &#8220;then broke contact&#8221; after speaking to him. After obtaining a physical description of the alleged assailant, they realized it matched Cespedes. They obtained a photo of Cespedes and showed it to the teen, who identified him as the man who assaulted him, police wrote



Officers then went to Cespedes&#8217; Port Matilda home and took him into custody.



Cespedes is charged with first-degree felony counts of aggravated assault and robbery, misdemeanor counts of simple assault and receiving stolen property and a summary count of harassment.



He was arraigned by District Judge Steven Lachman and was unable to post $150,000 straight bail.



A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 14.

Man Accused of Stabbing, Robbing Teen in State College

Spring Township police on Thursday filed felony charges against a Philipsburg woman for allegedly providing the drugs that resulted in a man&#8217;s overdose death in April.



Shianna L. Lambert, 24, was charged with a first-degree felony count of drug delivery resulting in death, felony counts of possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communication facility and misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.



She has been detained without bail at the Centre County Correctional since April 17, when she was charged with tampering with evidence and obstruction for allegedly attempting to delete cell phone evidence related to the case.



According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Spring Township police, officers found a 26-year-old man not breathing when they arrived at about 11:10 p.m. on April 10 at a home on the 100 block of Flint Court. Narcan was administered three times and CPR initiated prior to police arrival, but the man did not regain a pulse and was pronounced dead at the scene.



A coroner&#8217;s investigation report completed on May 9 concluded the man died of a drug overdose that included multiple forms of fentanyl as well as xylazine, an animal sedative known by the name &#8220;tranq&#8221; and which has seen growing use as a street drug.



Two women, including Lambert, were present at the time of the man&#8217;s death, and police wrote in the complaint that Lambert was known to sell heroin and fentanyl. 



During the investigation, a relative of the man told police that she knew Lambert gave him drugs and that Lambert came to see him on the day of his death. The relative left the house for a few minutes and when she returned the man was &#8220;hallucinating and talking about drug cartels,&#8221; according to the affidavit.



He told the relative he didn&#8217;t want to keep doing drugs and put a &#8220;ticket,&#8221; slang for a stamp bag of heroin or fentanyl, on the counter, police wrote. Lambert then allegedly told him to &#8220;shut up&#8221; and to leave with her.



Another relative told police that he acquired drugs from Lambert the same day and that she said she had a half a bundle from Philadelphia on her.



On April 14, investigators returned to the residence where the man died and Lambert was not there. Another woman, who said Lambert had abandoned her belongings, consented to a search of the home, according to the affidavit. Police allegedly found among Lambert&#8217;s items a large number of unused blue glassine bags commonly used by street-level dealers for heroin and fentanyl.



That same day, investigators took three phones seized from the residence to Penn State police for forensic analysis. They learned that the phone belonging to Lambert had been remotely deleted, according to the affidavit.



Police were able to recover some messages from her phone about selling fentanyl, including one in which she wrote she did not &#8220;want to catch a murder charge&#8221; because of the potency of the drugs, according to the affidavit.



Lambert went to the Spring Township police station on April 17 to retrieve her phone, and while there she asked to speak to an investigator about the case, police wrote. After telling a story police called &#8220;clearly not the truth,&#8221; Lambert allegedly admitted that the man asked her for drugs and that she gave him a bag of fentanyl that she bought in Philadelphia.



She also allegedly admitted to logging into her iCloud to delete the contents of her phone and described her process for purchasing drugs to bring back to Centre County to sell. Lambert told police she had drugs on her at the time she was taken into custody and produced 14 stamp bags of fentanyl she had hidden in her clothing, police wrote.



At the preliminary arraignment on the tampering charges, Lambert allegedly remarked to a family member that &#8220;I am going to be charged for his murder,&#8221; and &#8220;He asked me for drugs and I gave them to him like an idiot.&#8221;



A preliminary arraignment on the new charges is scheduled for Friday and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 7.

Centre County Woman Charged in Overdose Death

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Black and Hispanic drivers were slightly more likely to face discretionary searches during traffic stops in Pennsylvania last year, according to a report released Tuesday that examined interactions between Pennsylvania State Troopers and motorists.



The analysis, conducted by criminologist Robin Engel and a team of researchers at the National Policing Institute, found no disparity among racial and ethnic groups for warnings, citations and arrests statewide, but found State Police were slightly more likely to search Black and Hispanic drivers than white drivers during searches where the trooper initiated the investigation based on probable cause, reasonable suspicion or permission from the driver.



These kinds of stops are rare, constituting only 2.8% of more than more than 440,000 stops conducted in 2022, but Black and Hispanic drivers were more likely to be subject to them than white drivers.



Black and Hispanic drivers were 1.9 and 1.3 times more likely to be subject to a discretionary search than white drivers, according to the report.



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At a news conference on Tuesday, Engel said she is optimistic the numbers will continue to improve given their decline overtime. The disparities peaked in 2008 when Black and Hispanic drivers were 3.0 and 2.6 times more likely to be subject to a discretionary search than white drivers.



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Researchers also found disparities in the rates of seizures during discretionary stops. The seizure rate for such searches conducted in 2022 is much higher in general across racial and ethnic groups than rates from between 2002 and 2010, according to the report. But differences remain.



As in previous analyses, the researchers found police most often seized items — including drugs, weapons and money — from the cars of white drivers.



During searches based on probable cause or reasonable suspicion, where troopers had reason to believe the driver could be committing a crime, they found items to seize in 75.8% of cars of white drivers, 73.5% cars of Black drivers and 65.1% cars of Hispanic drivers. In searches initiated only with the consent of the driver, troopers seized items in 52.4% of the vehicles of white drivers, 41.5% of the vehicles of Black drivers and 32.9% of the vehicles of Hispanic drivers.



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The 2022 analysis is the first in more than a decade after State Police ceased collecting traffic stop data in 2012.



State Police announced in 2021 that they would again have Engel independently analyze traffic stop data. The announcement followed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2019/09/pa-state-police-stopped-tracking-driver-race/">a 2019 Spotlight PA investigation</a>&nbsp;that found the department halted the practice without explanation or public notice.



Engel and her team were slated to produce their first new report by April 2022, but the researchers found the first year of data unusable because&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2022/10/pa-state-police-traffic-stop-racial-discrimination-data-problems/">85% of trooper stations</a>&nbsp;did not record demographic information during all types of traffic stops.



This was mostly because troopers in some stations did not realize they had to complete the form for stops that resulted in only a verbal warning, Engel told Spotlight PA last year.



The newest report examines stop outcomes, but does not examine whether certain drivers are more likely to be pulled over than others. This is because the research team was unable to find a reliable benchmark to use to compare the data.



In 2022, Pennsylvania State Police made 441,329 traffic stops. Of those, officers marked 71.1% as white, 14.4% as Black and 8.2% as Hispanic. Officers are required to rely on their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2022/08/pennsylvania-state-police-racial-bias-traffic-stop-data/">perception to record race or ethnicity</a>, a common practice among departments that collect data to better understand how an officer’s bias might affect policing outcomes.



But comparing these findings to the most readily available benchmark, residential population, is inadequate, Engel said at the news conference, because where people live is not necessarily the same as where they drive.



“It doesn’t tell you where you drive, when you drive, how you drive, what you drive, whether or not there’s an organizational enforcement in a particular community at a community’s request, whether or not there’s a DUI traffic point as part of your travels,” Engel said. “There’s a whole host of reasons why you could be stopped or at risk of being stopped, none of which is measured by the residential census population.”



Engel’s team attempted to find a better benchmark in the early 2000s with assistance from Pennsylvania State University students, who sat beside roads and interstates across the state to observe the characteristics of drivers. The results confirmed the people driving in an area are not necessarily the same as the people living in that area.



Decades of research have not produced a reliable, affordable way of finding a benchmark comparison, Engel said, so “that’s why it’s so important to take that next step and say okay, given that a stop has been made, what do we see in terms of the treatment of motorists after that stop is made and that’s the best indicator that we have.”



In the newest report, the researchers made several recommendations for State Police. They encouraged the agency to continue to refine data collection methods; assess patterns and trends in traffic stops at the troop and station levels; and enhance accountability and oversight mechanisms for trooper conduct during traffic stops, particularly those that result in a consent search.



The researchers also recommended continued study of the department’s specialized “criminal interdiction” training courses, which are designed to prevent crimes from occuring on state highways.



While citizens often demand training to address issues such as implicit bias or deescalation in policing, few studies have determined if these courses actually affect police behavior, Engel said.



“This is true across all types of police training and it’s true across the country, which is why the Pennsylvania State Police willingness for an outside research team to come in and look at and study their criminal interdiction training is quite significant,” she said.



State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris endorsed Engel’s work Tuesday and said the department would continue to use the findings to improve police services.



“I fundamentally believe in all sectors that which gets measured gets improved,” he said at the news conference. “...The fact that we can track this data over time, you know, really we think is only a positive, so I would expect our members to embrace this.”



Throughout 2022, the researchers audited the data to identify additional collection issues and ensure the number of stops officers recorded matched the stops in the department’s dispatch system.



“I am really thrilled to say the error rate is well below 10%,” Engel said Tuesday, “and for the missing data fields, it’s in the less than 1%,” well below the threshold the researchers established.



The researchers will work with State Police through 2025 and plan to provide annual reports to the department for the next three years. The four-year contract will cost State Police $696,000.



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This is the second time State Police have partnered with Engel to examine traffic stop data for evidence of racial disparities. Officials initially told Spotlight PA they stopped collecting the data because the analysis, which spanned 2002 to 2010, showed no evidence that troopers conducted traffic stops based on race or ethnicity.



While Spotlight PA’s review confirmed that researchers did not find evidence that state troopers stopped Black and Hispanic people at a disproportionate rate, the analysts did find that once pulled over, troopers subjected people of color to citations, arrests and searches more often than white people.



WHILE YOU’RE HERE...&nbsp;If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spotlightpa.org/">Spotlight PA</a>&nbsp;so someone else can in the future at&nbsp;<a href="http://spotlightpa.org/donate">spotlightpa.org/donate</a>. Spotlight PA is funded by<a href="https://www.spotlightpa.org/support">&nbsp;foundations and readers like you</a>&nbsp;who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.

Pa. State Troopers More Likely to Do Optional Searches for Black, Hispanic Drivers Than White Ones

Members of law enforcement and the local community gathered on Wednesday afternoon outside the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte to remember officers nationwide who died in the line of duty and to recognize the efforts of police.



The annual Centre County Peace Officers Memorial was held in conjunction with National Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week.



&#8220;Today’s ceremony reminds us that each and every day law enforcement personnel respond to calls in their community they so proudly serve,&#8221; Ferguson Township Police Chief John Petrick said in his opening remarks. &#8220;It reminds us that at any moment the duty to serve might end because of the actions of others. Today we honor and remember those who have responded to their last call. These heroes will never return to their families, friends, co-workers and loved ones. Life is both precious and fragile. May each fallen hero’s memory be eternal.&#8221;



Following the singing of the national anthem by Meg Brower, Pastor William Osman of St. John Lutheran Church in Bellefonte delivered an invocation that recognized the sacrifice of those who died in the line of duty.



&#8220;Today we remember and honor those who have not only laid down their lives for their friends, but who have fulfilled the ultimate calling to protect and serve by laying down their lives for their community and its citizens,&#8221; Osman said.



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-law-enforcement-memorial-osman-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="422126" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-law-enforcement-memorial-osman-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-422126"/></a></figure>
<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption"> Meg Brower sang the national anthem and Pastor William Osman delivered the invocation during the 2023 Peace Officers Memorial. Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



Nationwide, 226 federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2022, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. That number includes five state and local police officers in Pennsylvania. 



State Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R-Richland Township, noted in his keynote remarks that three Pennsylvania officers have died on the job to date in 2023.



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&#8220;These officers represent the very best of our commonwealth,&#8221; Langerholc said. &#8220;Their sacrifice reflects their commitment to serve and protect us. Let us never forget their bravery and dedication to our commonwealth.&#8221;



Generations of law enforcement officers have faced &#8220;vastly different circumstances,&#8221; Langerholc said, but the oath to protect and serve has remained constant.



&#8220;It is you who run in when others run out. It is you who are prepared at a moment’s notice to lay down your lives for others, all in the name of safety,&#8221; he said.



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-law-enforcement-memorial-officers1-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="422123" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-law-enforcement-memorial-officers1-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-422123"/></a></figure>
<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">Members of 10 Centre County law enforcement agencies attended the 2023 Peace Officers Memorial on Wednesday, May 17, in Bellefonte.</figcaption></figure>



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<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">State Sen. Wayne Langerholc, left, and Ferguson Township Police Chief John Petrick spoke at the 2023 Centre County Peace Officers Memorial. Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



Centre County commissioners also declared May 15-21 as this year&#8217;s Police Week in Centre County and May 17 as Peace Officers Memorial Day.



&#8220;It is important that all citizens know and understand the duties, responsibilities, hazards and sacrifices of their law enforcement agencies, and that members of our law enforcement agencies recognize their duty to serve the people by safeguarding life and property, by protecting them against violence and disorder, and protecting the innocent against deception, and the weak against oppression,&#8221; Commissioner Steve Dershem said in reading a portion of the proclamation.



Representatives from 10 Centre County law enforcement agencies read the names of each of the&nbsp;officers who died in the line of duty in 2022. The names included state police troopers Martin Francis Mack III and Branden Sisca, Lebanon City police lieutenant William Lebo, Warrington Township police officer Stephen Plum Jr. and Washington County Sheriff&#8217;s Office Corporal Chad Beattie.



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-law-enforcement-memorial-nick-raia-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="422122" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-law-enforcement-memorial-nick-raia-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-422122"/></a></figure>
<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">The Department of Corrections Honor Guard, left, presented the colors and State College detective Nick Raia played &#8220;Taps&#8221; during the 2023 Peace Officers Memorial ceremony on Wednesday, May 17, in Bellefonte. Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



The ceremony also included the presentation of a memorial wreath by representatives of the Centre County Emergency Communications Center and Penn State 9-1-1, a 21-gun salute by the Centre County Law Enforcement Rifle Team, the playing of &#8220;Taps&#8221; by State College police detective Nick Raia and the playing of &#8220;Amazing Grace&#8221; by bagpiper John MacMillen.



The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Honor Guard advanced and retired the colors.



&#8220;Let this remembrance of National Police Week serve to inspire awaken and reinvigorate all those in law enforcement and all those who will enter this most noble of professions,&#8221; Langerholc said. &#8220;Let our youth see the sacrifice made on their behalf, and let the ultimate sacrifices made by far too many never ever be in vain.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/law-enforcement-memorial-wreath-scaled.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-422129"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo be Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>

Centre County Memorial Ceremony Honors Fallen Law Enforcement Officers

Police and Crime News

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