Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Borough

Exclusive: Fired Bristol Police Officer Wins Workers Compensation Case

Published

6 years ago

May 14, 2020

Fired Bristol Borough Police Officer Justin Gross has won his workers compensation case against Bristol Borough and will continue to be paid by the borough, a judge ruled last month.

The decision by Workers Compensation Judge Joseph McManus was issued to Borough officials on April 28, according to information obtained by Lower Bucks Source.

McManus ordered the borough to pay Gross weekly compensation backdating to January of 2019, at rate of a little more than $930 “ongoing.” Additionally, the borough was also ordered to pay Gross 10 percent interest on the back pay awarded as of January, 2019 and forward.

According to state law, workers compensation is capped at 66 percent of total weekly earnings, thus the approximate $930 compensation to be paid by the Borough to Gross. The recently terminated officer, according to records obtained by Lower Bucks Source, weekly average earnings was approximately $1,900 with overtimes included.

“As counsel for Officer Gross I am satisfied with the decision of the workers compensation judge. Its good to know Officer Gross will receive ongoing lost wages and benefits”, said Mark J. Kogan of Haggerty, Goldberg, Schleifer & Kupersmith, P.C.

The former Bristol police officer refiled the claim once he started to re-experience symptoms of a mental health condition he was treated for after an attempted return to work with the department in a non-contact role with the public.

Additionally, the workers compensation decision mandated the following:

Bristol Borough was ordered to pay for medical services and or treatment for the injuries incurred when injured on patrol March 8, 2014 inclusive of mental health services.
Bristol Borough was ordered to pay litigation fees of approximately $4,520.00
Bristol Borough was ordered to pay Gross’ legal representatives 20 percent of the approved weekly compensation for reasonable and necessary costs of the dispute.

Gross was injured on the job in March of 2014 when a Bristol woman, Stephanie McCleary, rammed his marked police cruiser causing a number of “traumatic injuries.”

According to legal filings, Gross’s injuries included but are not limited to:

Traumatic brain injury,
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Disc Herniation,
Lumbar Disc Protrusion

Gross returned to work on modified duty, according to legal documents, in October of 2017.

The then working officer started to re- experience symptoms of his mental heath condition in January of 2019.

“Interpersonal conflicts” with police and borough officials were the cause cited according to documents obtained by Lower Bucks Source.

Gross left work on January 18, never to return, refiling for workers related compensation benefits, due to the exacerbation of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

McManus “rejected” the testimony of the psychologist appointed to evaluate Gross for the borough “as not credible or competent” when he opined to medical certainty that treatment he was receiving for his mental health issues was not reasonable, needed, nor was it “effective.”

“The Judge” Kogan said, “found his treatment to be reasonable and necessary.”

Attorney for the Borough, Martin J. Fallon from Delaware Valley Workers Compensation Trust said he found it “unusual” a media outlet would be interested in a workers compensation case and declined to comment further.

In March Lower Bucks Source broke the story about Gross suing the borough, police department and officials alleging work place harassment, wrongful termination, humiliation, and harm to his reputation.

Gross was a Borough officer for approximately seven years. The status of his lawsuit against the Borough named defendants is still pending, according to court documents.

Attempts to reach borough officials for comment for this story were unsuccessful

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Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Borough

Bristol Borough Fire Chiefs Statement on Dorrance Street Fire

Published

3 days ago

March 3, 2026

Jeff Bohen

Bristol Borough Fire Chief Herb Slack on Tuesday morning released the following statement on last nights Dorrance Street Fire.

It’s only been edited for style:

At 6:11 PM, Bristol Borough Fire Companies were dispatched to 340 Dorrance St for a dwelling fire with possible entrapment. The first arriving fire chief found two semi-detached dwellings with exposures on both sides. He immediately asked for the second alarm because of the volume of fire in the two dwellings and rapidly spreading to the exposures.

Fire companies quickly stretched hose lines to protect the exposures and begin extinguishing the fire in the two dwelling. A third alarm was added for additional manpower.

Credit: Submitted

During fire fighting operations, it was determined that there was a one resident had not gotten out of the dwelling. Due to the intense fire, with the first floors fully involved, firefighters were not able to enter the dwelling to attempt to rescue a residents who was wheel-chair bound and had been unable to escape. There was one additional civilian injury and that person was transported to the hospital with possible smoke inhalation. There were no firefighter injuries.

Credit: Joe Nelson

Fire was placed under control at 7:39 PM. Fire companies remained on location for several hours due to the extensive overhauling to ensure the fire was extinguished. The last fire company left at 11:26 PM.

Mutual aid companies supporting fire fighting operations including fire companies from Bristol Township, Bensalem, Falls Township, Middletown Township, Morrisville and Burlington County.

The fire remains under investigation by Bristol Borough and the Bucks County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Cops

Emergency Crews Prepare for Incoming Blizzard as Lower Bucks Municipalities Declare Storm Plans

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Joanne Ames

Credit:: Veinna Carcel

Lower Bucks municipalities have declared disaster/snow emergencies in advance of the expected snow storm that the National Weather Service says will dump anywhere between 14 to 18 inches on the area.

A winter storm warning is still in effect from Sunday, Feb 22 to Monday, Feb 23.

Each municipality has its own link. For more information and updates, please click on their associated link.

Bensalem Township – Disaster Emergency declared immediately for the pending snow storm. Click here to see more details.

Bristol Borough – Snow information/requirements have been posted on their website. Click here to see the details.

Bristol Township – Snow Emergency effective 12 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 through 12 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Click here to see more details.

Falls Township – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. and expires on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6 a.m. Click here for details.

Langhorne Borough – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at noon until Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. No parking. Click here for details.

Lower Makefield Township – Snow information has been posted on Meta. Click here to see the details.

Middletown Township – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. . Click here to see details.

Morrisville Borough – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. Click here to see the details.

Newtown Township – A Snow Emergency is in effect from 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 until 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Click here to see the details.

Penndel Borough – Snow Emergency has been declared from 12 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 2026, through 12 p.m. on Monday, February 23, 2026. Click here for more details and click here for more on the ordinance.

Tullytown Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 6 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 6 p.m. Click here to see more details.

Warminster Township – Disaster Emergency has been declared for the incoming snow storm, effective Sunday Feb. 22, 2026 at 12 p.m. through Tuesday, Feb. 24,2026 at 12 p.m.. Click here to see the details and click here to see the declaration from Township Manager Tom Scott.

Yardley Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 4 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 4 p.m. . Click here to see the details. and click here to see declaration/other information from Mayor Caroline Thompson.

The primary concern is safety. Take care of yourselves and check on neighbors and those who may be vulnerable.

Please stay safe, take all necessary precautions, and keep your devices charged.

Click here for updates from the National Weather Service

Click here for PECO’s outage map.

Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Borough

Cops: Bristol Man Charged with Robbery; Suspect Identified Via Sports Jacket Seen on Video During Altercation

Published

2 weeks ago

February 17, 2026

Jeff Bohen

A Bristol Borough man was taken into custody and jailed Friday night accused of robbery, simple assault, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct stemming from a Jan. 26 incident at the Sunoco Gas Station on Bath Road and Rt 13.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Bristol Borough Police were dispatched to the gas station/convenience store at 10:45 p.m by 911 after the assault/robbery was called in by gas station staff.

Responding police officers met with the employee who said two men entered the store and one attempted to rob him, assaulted him, damaged the store and then fled on foot. The employee said one of the two suspects reached through the safety glass that is usually in place during night hours, punching him in the face and neck area several times and breaking his glasses, the criminal complaint alleges.

Officers noted, in the probable cause, visible bruising on the employee’s face from the robbery assault. In addition, there were a number of store items damaged.

The victim told police the direction the suspects fled which officers canvassed and came up empty in the suspect search.

On Jan 27 officers reviewed gas station security video footage (no audio) showing, according to the probable cause, Mark Rodriguez (who police had yet to identify) getting into an argument with the victim, reaching underneath the security window, pulling it up and pummeling the victim.

The unidentified man with Rodriguez remained nearby but was on his cell phone, police said, at the time of the assault and was wearing a Bristol High School sports jacket.

Bristol Borough Police identified the owner of the jacket (a minor) with help from school district officials. The minor provided a written statement to police identifying a family member of his/hers (Rodriguez) as the suspect who assaulted the Sunoco Gas Station employee and that he was present for the altercation.

The written statement was facilitated by Bristol Borough Middle/High School Lead Teacher Mike Poploskie, and sent via email to lead investigator/officer Chris Tehan. Subsequently police were able to confirm Rodriguez’s identity and that he lives on the 150 block of Otter Street.

About one week later, police met with the parents of the student who was present at the altercation in which the minor was interviewed by police.

The youngster provided police with a “voluntary” statement confirming his/her previous written statement and allowing police to have a warrant issued for Rodriguez’s arrest.

Rodriguez was arraigned by on-call District Judge Mark D. Douple last Friday on robbery and related counts. He set bail at 10 percent of $75,000.00 and remanded Rodriguez to Bucks County Jail until his next hearing date, currently set for Feb 25.