A former Morrisville Borough Police Cpl was convicted Thursday of unlawful use of a computer, official oppression, terroristic threats, and harassment in a trail by judge.
Michael Pitcher, 43 of Pipersville was convicted on all charges earlier this morning by Trial Judge Brian T. McGuffin for his harassment of a Yardley couple and his subsequent illegal use of Morrisville Police Department computers to seek out personal information about the couple he terrorized after a April 2019 incident on River Road in Lower Makefield Township.
Prosecutor for the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals office Brian M. Zarallo said it was a just outcome to the case.
“Police officers abusing their authority to terrorize citizens can not be tolerated whatsoever and I am glad we were ble to provide justice for the victims.”
Morrisville Chief of Police George McClay, vindicated by his push to have Pitcher fired by the borough earlier this year offered a one sentence statement on the outcome,
“The Judge took everything into consideration and made the proper verdict.”
Councilman Scott Robinson shortly after the verdict was announced said in a Facebook post, “I want to thank the borough council members that voted with me on this very controversial issue (Firing Pitcher).I knew all along it was the correct decision”
“Assuming the ruling sticks and is not overturned in an appeal, I am relived to see that the courts are holding him accountable. No one should be permitted to act in a manner that was described in the complaint. Everyone should have to follow the rules, regardless of their profession, or status” Councilman Mike Yager said this afternoon via text message,.
The top count a felony conviction assures Pitcher can never work as a police officer again in the state.
Pitcher was originally charged in June of 2019 for threatening and harassing a Yardley man (and his wife) and accessing police computers illegally in order to harass and threaten them
According to court records, Pitcher is alleged to have said in a phone call to a unlisted land line “you better have cameras at your house as I will be destroying your property, especially your Porsche,” when using a cell phone with a “spoofing app.”
The victims also told police about their drive back to their home, when traveling River Road, on April 6, 2019, in their white Porsche in which they were confronted by another motorist, who was driving “aggressively and erratically” and tailgating the couple in a black Chevrolet SUV just outside of Yardley Borough, court records show.
The couple told police the driver tried to pass them on a narrow two-lane roadway. The victim driving told police he exited River Rd at the intersection of Black Rock Road and the SUV sped up causing its tires to squeal as it continued traveling south on River Rd. The non- driving victim stated she believed the SUV had a New Jersey license plate. Within a short time of arriving at their home, the couple began to receive the threatening and harassing calls, in which the caller identifies himself as the driver behind them on River Rd. The couple told police they believed the only way someone could have obtained their personal information was via a license plate lookup/search, police wrote in court documents.
The case, which has been winding through the court system for over two years, impacted Morrisville in many ways. Staffing for the police department, an election outcome and the eventual firing of Pitcher last June which in some respects was a gamble some believed.
Pitcher is scheduled to be sentenced on November 22, by Judge Brian T. McGuffin at the court of common pleas.
Morrisville Borough Council President Ted Parker and Borough Manager Judith Danko did not respond to requests for this story as of publication time.
Pitcher’s attorney Louis Busico did not respond to a request for comment on the case outcome and whether he plans to will file an appeal. .
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