Wilkes-Barre man charged with three offenses within three hours

Ed Lewis, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read
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Sep. 28—WILKES-BARRE — City police arrested a Wilkes-Barre man on charges he endangered a child in his care after fleeing a vehicle crash, got involved in a domestic dispute with the child's mother and initiated a struggle while attempting to disarm an officer inside police headquarters Tuesday.

The three separate incidents occurred within three hours involving Malik C. Bennett, 22, of Carey Avenue.

According to the criminal complaints:

—7:39 p.m: Police responded to 150 E. Northampton St. for a vehicle crash with injuries and learned a man, identified as Bennett, turned into a parking lot of Rite Aid and entered the store with an 8-year-old boy. Video footage inside the store showed the boy holding his stomach and crying. Bennett leaves the store with the boy leaving the wrecked vehicle in the parking lot.

—8:28 p.m: Police responded to a domestic dispute at Bennett's apartment. As officers arrived, they recognized Bennett as the suspect in the hit and run on East Northampton Street about one hour earlier. Bennett attempted to grab items and initiated a struggle with officers at the Carey Avenue apartment. Bennett's girlfriend told police when Bennett arrived, he told her he crashed his vehicle, which resulted in an argument between the two. Police found the boy in the apartment, and he was evaluated by city emergency medical technicians.

—10:15 p.m: After Bennett was arrested at the Carey Avenue apartment, he was taken to police headquarters for processing. Police in the complaint say Bennett became agitated, refused to remove his shoes and enter a holding cell, and initiated a struggle with officers. During the struggle, Bennett grabbed and attempted to disarm an officer of a Taser. Bennett repeatedly threatened officers during and after the struggle.

Bennett was arraigned by District Judge Thomas Malloy of Wilkes-Barre on six total counts of resisting arrest, and one count each of aggravated assault, assault by prisoner, disarming a law enforcement officer, accidents involving damage to attended vehicle, endangering the welfare of children, disorderly conduct and harassment.

Bennett was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $135,000 total bail.