Police Reports

On 06/16/2023 at approximately 2326 hrs, City of Bradford Police while on patrol located the defendant Harley Blue Sellers walking along Congress Street.

Officers knew Sellers to have active Felony arrest warrants both from the McKean County Sheriffs Office and from the Attorney General’s Office in relation to drug crimes.

Officers moved in and arrested Sellers at which time he threw Methamphetamine onto the ground. The drugs were seized into evidence.

Sellers was remanded to McKean County Jail on the bench warrants and also arraigned by Magistrate Engman on the new possession charges. Bail was set at $25,000. Preliminary hearings are set in the matter. 

Charges 1 count -780-113 A16 Possession of a Controlled Substance (M) Location Congress Street Bradford, PA 16701 Arrest Date Jun 16, 2023 Incident Type Drugs / Narcotics Violation Reference ID 2023-06162326

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://mckean.crimewatchpa.com/bradfordpd/68048/arrests/sellers-harley-blue-1-count-780-113-a16-possession-controlled-substance-m?fbclid=IwAR3pwsZMLXlJ2HsDlkjPz2a22oJ2NeCfQeyA9Pyc0ngJX0TjqwtpulrGWF8

Smethport Fire Department Inc.

SFD was dispatched at 0603 on Father’s Day morning to 35 E Valley Rd for a single vehicle MVA rollover. Upon arrival a woman and infant had self extricated and were awaiting emergency personnel. MA-17 along with MA-3 with medic evaluated both and they were transported to the hospital. Engine 24 responded and assisted by PSP and McKeirnan’s Towing. Station 2 Fire Police closed the road during the incident. Chiefs 210 & 220 had command. All units were back in quarters at 0715.

(Photos by Jim Dougherty SFD)

PA-Fire&Police is feeling sad in Mifflintown.

6-17-23 > Juniata County, PA

There was a police involved shooting in Mifflintown today. Unfortunately one

PSP trooper succumbed to his injuries.

Sending sincere condolences to the PA State Police, all friends/families and first responders.

Officials with the Pennsylvania State Police said one trooper encountered an armed person sometime around 12:45 Saturday afternoon near Mifflintown in Juniata County.

The trooper was shot and wounded and taken to a hospital for treatment. The trooper was said to have serious injuries.

(Transported by helicopter)

Authorities said the suspect was located at about 2:45 p.m. in Walker Township. Troopers and the suspect fired at each other. One trooper and the suspect were shot and killed.

PSP is asking the public to avoid the area of PSP Lewistown due to the active scene.

When a police officer is killed, it’s not an agency that loses an officer, it’s an entire nation.

Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania 

This afternoon, a PA State Police trooper was killed in the line of duty in Juniata County. Another trooper was shot and is now stable but in critical condition.

Each one put themselves on the line to protect their fellow troopers — and to protect their fellow Pennsylvanians.

I just left the hospital where the injured trooper is being treated. PA State Police Commissioner Paris and I thanked his colleagues for their service and prayed for his recovery.

Lori and I send our love to the family of the trooper killed today. May his memory be a blessing.

(SMETHPORT, Pennsylvania: June 13, 2023):  Following a 2 day jury trial at the McKean County Courthouse, Walter Lee Dennis, Jr., was convicted of crimes related to narcotics that occurred on March 27 and March 28, 2022 in McKean County.

District Attorney Stephanie L. Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that Detectives with the McKean County Drug Task Force learned DENNIS was intending to deliver narcotics to an individual.  They placed him under surveillance.  Detectives knew DENNIS was wanted on an unrelated matter. When officers observed him arrive at the destination to deliver a controlled substance, he was taken into custody on a warrant on another matter.  A subsequent search on-scene located crack cocaine and 83 empty glassine bags commonly used as a packaging material for narcotics.

Acting on a tip that DENNIS may have attempted to conceal the narcotics he had intended to deliver by hiding them inside his body, Detectives alerted staff at the McKean County Jail.

During the booking process, Corrections’ Officers observed a suspicious item in DENNIS’ body and directed him to shower per policy.  Subsequently, they located approximately 15 wet, soggy glassine bags in the shower’s drain and shower floor around the drain.  

The glassine bags matched the bags found on DENNIS at the time of his arrest.  The lab identified the substance on the wet bags as being a mixture of fentanyl and tramadol – both controlled substances. 

The McKean County Drug Task Force was assisted by City of Bradford Officers, Bradford Township Officers, and Corrections’ Officers at the McKean County Jail.

Dennis was charged and convicted of Contraband (brining controlled substance inside a jail) –

(Felony 2); Possession of a Controlled Substance by Inmate (Felony 2); Possession with Intent to Deliver (fentanyl and tramadol) (Felony); Tampering with Evidence (Misdemeanor 2); 2 counts Possession of a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl with Tramadol and Crack Cocaine) (Misdemeanors); and Criminal Use of a Communication Facility to facilitate a Felony Drug  Crime (Felony 3).

District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth.  Detective Kolin Strawcutter with the McKean County Drug Task Force investigated the case.

Sentencing has been scheduled by the Court for July 20, 2023.

If you suspect illegal drug activity, please report it to the McKean County Drug Task Force at MCDTFtip@gmail.com.

Bradford City Firefighters

***WORKING FIRE***

At 1508 Sunday afternoon City Fire was dispatched to 246 South Avenue for a house fire. Firefighters arrived on scene to find a vacant house with fire through the roof. At 1509 a second alarm was requested bringing in all off duty city firefighters and BTVFD (RIT&water supply). Hand lines were quickly deployed, the fire was hit from outside followed by interior operations. At 1604 the fire was deemed under control and in the overhaul stage. No injuries were reported and Captain 1-30 (Tehle) had South Avenue command. City and UPB police assisted on scene.

Photos courtesy of J Bradish.

JUVENILE HAS BEEN FOUND.

On 06/04/2023 at approximately 0900 hours officers were alerted to a theft from a motor vehicle within the City of Bradford Police parking lot. Officers learned that two golf bags each containing multiple clubs were removed from the back of on officer’s truck parked within the parking lot. Neilly was observed and identified on video surveillance leaving the parking lot with the bags on his shoulders heading in the direction of his apartment on Boylston St.

Officers made verbal contact with Neilly at his apartment however refused to open his door to have a productive conversation. Subsequently based off of the evidence gathered, officers applied for and were granted a search warrant for the apartment in question. Officers executed the search warrant by force, once within the apartment the golf bags were observed.

Neilly ultimately resisted officers, requiring the deployment of a Taser after an extended struggle to gain control of defendant and place him in hand restraints. Neilly was arraigned by Magistrate Todd and remanded to jail on $25,000 bail. 

Charges (18) 3934 (A) Theft From Motor Vehicle (M1) (18) 3925 A Receiving Stolen Property (M1) (18) 5104 Resisting Arrest (M2) Location: 80 Boylston Street, Bradford, PA 16701

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://mckean.crimewatchpa.com/bradfordpd/68048/arrests/neilly-ryan-scott-18-3934-theft-motor-vehicle-m1-and-2-additional-charges