2 suspects in separate cases waive testimony

A police officer had a gun pointed at his head, police reported.

STAFF REPORT

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — A man who police say threatened an off- duty police officer and a woman who led police on a high-speed chase waived testimony in their preliminary hearings Wednesday.

The cases of Jamal Murphy, 18, of Park Avenue in New Castle, and Amy Jean Tillia, 27, of Grove City, will proceed to Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas for trials.

Murphy is accused of threatening Sharon police officer Vincent Martwinski, who has addresses in Sharon and New Castle, with a gun at the Park Avenue playground the afternoon of March 17.

Martwinski had gone to the playground after a cell phone call from his stepson, who said he was having trouble with a group of teenagers there, New Castle police reported. Murphy pointed the gun at Martwinski’s head and threatened to kill him, according to the police report.

District Magistrate David Rishel reduced Murphy’s bond from $20,000 to $10,000, with conditions that Murphy have no contact with the victim or witnesses in the case. He also told Martwinski and a group of people who were in the courtroom with him that they also cannot contact Murphy. “Or someone will go to jail, and that’s a promise,” he said.

State police said Tillia led them and other police departments on a high-speed chase through New Castle and four townships around 8 p.m. March 17.

Wanted on a probation violation, she was spotted by bail agents in New Castle, police reported. They called 911. When a New Castle officer tried to stop her, she fled and was chased for 15 minutes through Union, Pulaski, Mahoning and Wilmington townships before finally stopping on Pa. Route 18 two miles north of Lawrence County.

She was taken back to the Lawrence County Jail on Wednesday after asking Rishel for a bond reduction.

He kept her bond at $25,000, telling her she could petition the trial court to have it reduced.