November 3, 2015- Commonwealth v David Dones:  For the third time in four months David Dones heard a Dauphin County jury proclaim him guilty of criminal charges.  Dones heard two previous juries find him guilty after his resisting arrest trial in August and his simple assault trial last week.  This time he was on trial for aggravated assault and disorderly conduct.   On December 21, 2014, Harrisburg Police Officers Michael Rudy and Edmund Powell responded to 310 Hummel Street around 4 AM for a report of a person being out of control and injured. When they arrived David Dones was on the third floor of the home and was bleeding. Officers attempted to get him to come to the first floor but Dones did not comply. He began to yell at the officers from the third floor. Eventually they were able to get him downstairs. When he came downstairs they realized he had injuries on his hand so they requested an ambulance. While waiting for EMS, Dones was outside yelling obscenities and threatening officers. He was yelling so loud to the point that neighbors were coming outside. Once EMS arrived, he was transported to Harrisburg Hospital. Once he arrived at the hospital his behavior escalated and he became even more aggressive. It took several medical staff, officers and hospital security to keep Dones under control. During the incident, Dones ended up kicking Officer Powell in the chest so hard that he was knocked back a few feet. Powell testified that the only reason why he wasn’t injured was because Powell was wearing a bullet proof vest at the time. Dones kicked Powell in the arm as well. Additionally, Dones attempted to kick an EMS worker but luckily he missed. During this incident, Dones was also spitting on the officers and medical staff. Medical personnel from the Community Life Team testified that Dones looked him right in the eye and spit in his face. Also during this entire incident, Dones was yelling obscenities and threatening to everyone around him.

After a day of testimony, and about an hour and a half of jury deliberations, the jury came back with a guilty verdict on both counts.  Dones' reaction was much more civil during the reading of this guilty verdict than his disruptive behavior after the verdict was read during his trial in August.  After that verdict was read, Dones yelled profanity at the jurors and cursed at Deputy District Attorney April Schantz.  Dones' simple assault trial last week involved Dones' brutal assault upon his 67 year old grandfather.    

After this latest guilty verdict, Judge Richard A. Lewis immediately sentenced Dones for  all three cases.  At sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Schantz requested an aggravated sentence of incarceration. Schantz indicated that Dones was "violent, dangerous, and simply unpredictable."  Judge Lewis gave Dones an opportunity to speak during sentencing. However, during sentencing, Dones showed absolutely no remorse for his actions, showed no sympathy for his victim (grandfather), and maintained that he was innocent despite three jury trials with three guilty verdicts.  Judge Lewis sentenced Dones to 18 months to 7 years in a state penitentiary for the aggravated assault conviction. On the charge of simple assault from last week (where defendant brutally attacked his grandfather), Judge Lewis sentenced Dones to 4-24 months to run consecutive to the aggravated assault sentence.  On the remaining charges, Dones was sentenced to concurrent probationary terms.  Dones' total incarceration equals 22 months to 9 years in prison.  Thus ended the four month, three jury trial saga of David Dones.