Pa. Man Indicted In Attempt To Run Down Police Officer

A Pennsylvania man who is accused of trying to run down a Toms River police officer who responded to a fight at a motel in August has been indicted in the incident.

Joseph A. Lynch of Levittown, Pa., was indicted by an Ocean County grand jury, sitting in Toms River, on two counts of aggravated assault, one count of making a terroristic threat and one count of eluding in the Aug. 28 incident.

According to news reports, Lynch was involved in a fight at the Pier One motel on Route 37. When Toms River police arrived, Lynch, 55, jumped into his Pontiac Grand Am and sped off, nearly hitting Sgt. Scott Moeller and a police vehicle in the process, according to wobm.com and the Levittown Patch. those news reports. Moeller escaped serious injury by jumping out of the car's path, the reports said.

Lynch was indicted on a count of second-degree aggravated assault, accused of attempting to deliberately hit Moeller. He also was indicted on a count of second-degree aggravated assault and a count of making terroristic threats, accused of threatening to kill and then trying to cause serious bodily injury to Michael Sicoli in the fight at the motel.

Lynch also was indicted on a count of second-degree eluding, accused of fleeing after Toms River Patrolman Frank Lauria ordered him to stop.

Lynch has been in the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, since Sept. 28. He is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, no 10 percent option.