West Mead Township officer convicted of assault, harassment
A West Mead Township police officer has been convicted in Crawford County Court on two of four charges in a 2022 domestic violence case at his home.
Seth William Wise, 33, of Meadville, was convicted late Friday afternoon following a jury trial on Meadville Police Department charges of simple assault and harassment with physical contact following a weeklong trial.
Police filed the charges for an Aug. 13, 2022, assault on a woman at Wise's home in the city. She was his girlfriend at the time.
However, the jury of five women and seven men found Wise not guilty on two other charges — false imprisonment and intimidate witness or victim to withhold testimony.
Wise, a part-time West Mead officer who joined the department in December 2021, remains on administrative leave from the department. He was placed on administrative leave after the assault was reported to authorities in April 2023 and an investigation began.
The conviction came late Friday afternoon following a trial that began Oct. 7 before Senior Judge Christopher St. John of Mercer County.
Crawford County's three judges — John Spataro, Francis Schultz and Mark Stevens — had recused themselves from hearing the case.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General handled prosecution of the case as Crawford County District Attorney Paula DiGiacomo had recused her office from handling the matter.
According to the arrest affidavit filed, the domestic dispute between Wise and the woman came about after the two had been drinking at his home on Aug. 13. The dispute became physical with the woman being pushed to the floor and punched in the face numerous times during a three-hour period, she told police.
According to the affidavit, the woman had missing clumps of hair and suffered two black eyes and sore ribs — injuries documented in photos she showed to police.
During the assault, Wise attempted to take the woman's phone and tackled her in the home's yard during one of her attempts to leave, the affidavit said. He then forced her back into the house, according to the affidavit.
After the incident was reported to police in April 2023, Wise contacted a friend of the woman on June 1, 2023, in an attempt to enlist the friend's help to get the woman to drop the charges, the affidavit said.
The jury deliberated about four and a half hours before returning its split verdict.
The assault, false imprisonment and intimidation charges each were graded as a second-degree misdemeanor. Each count had a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a $5,000 fine.
The harassment charge was graded as a summary count with a maximum of 90 days in jail an a $300 fine.
Wise faces a maximum of two years and three months in jail and $5,300 in fines when he is sentenced on the two charges.
St. John set no sentencing date pending the filing of a pre-sentence investigation report by Crawford County Adult Probation.
Wise remains free on $5,000 unsecured bond awaiting sentencing.
