The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

August 19, 2008

Sharon man enters guilty plea in ethnic intimidation case

By Courtney Anderson

SHARON — A Sharon man pleaded guilty Tuesday to ethnic intimidation and disorderly conduct after an incident July 20 involving a security guard outside the hospital of Sharon Regional Health System.

Shawn P. Bennett, 24, of 621 S. Irvine Ave., pleaded guilty at a preliminary hearing before District Judge James E. McMahon, Sharon. Charges of terroristic threats and harassment were withdrawn.

Police said Bennett threatened a security guard and used racial slurs against him in the last of three incidents police were called for that night involving him, police said.

Police were called at 1:50 a.m. for a fight in the Maenerchor Club on South Dock Street, where they found Bennett outside, police said.

Police let him walk home, since he was close by, but were called at 2:17 a.m. for a man about a block away with a possible broken leg, police said.

When they arrived, they found Bennett, who was belligerent and aggressive. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance, police said.

At 3:06 a.m. police were called to the hospital, where an unruly Bennett had been discharged. A security guard said they’d told Bennett to leave and he yelled obscenities at the guard in the parking lot, police said. Bennett had to be electronically shocked by police when they arrived in order to subdue him, police said.

Bennett was sentenced to 45 days to 1 year in Mercer County Jail on the intimidation charge and given credit for 30 days served. Court documents said he was to be paroled after serving the minimum.

He was also put on 1 year of probation and ordered to pay court costs.

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