Trucker sues Pennsylvania trooper for alleged use of excessive force

January 22, 2021

Tyson Fisher

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A trucker is suing a Pennsylvania State Police officer for allegedly using excessive force.

In a civil complaint filed on Jan. 14, Dale Hollobaugh is accusing Trooper Robert Jacobs of violating the Fourth Amendment. The lawsuit names Jacobs as an individual. The Pennsylvania State Police is not named.

According to the complaint, Hollobaugh was driving his Peterbilt on June 11, 2019, at around 6:45 p.m. on Interstate 70 near Exit 40 going eastbound. During this time, a black SUV suddenly pulled in front of the Peterbilt. The sudden move caused Hollobaugh to slam on the brakes and take other evasive action to avoid hitting the SUV, the complaint said.

After moving forward on I-70 for a short distance, the SUV pulled over to the side of the road. Under the impression he may have struck the vehicle, Hollobaugh followed the SUV and pulled over behind it.

The trucker then exited the truck and walked toward the SUV driver’s side door. According to the lawsuit, the driver of the SUV “exited suddenly, and immediately without warning or cause, assaulted the plaintiff, striking plaintiff in the chest.”

The man inside the SUV was Jacobs, who was in uniform and on duty as a trooper.

Hollobaugh states in the complaint that until the trooper exited his vehicle he had no idea that the SUV was a Pennsylvania State Police vehicle nor did he know that Jacobs was an on-duty officer.

Hollobaugh alleges that the Pennsylvania State Police trooper then ordered him to move to the front of the SUV. While complying, Jacobs, “without warning or cause, tasered (Hollobaugh), causing him to fall helplessly to the ground, violently striking his head, face and shoulders on the pavement,” the complaint states. The trucker complained about severe back and shoulder pain upon getting handcuffed. Those complaints were ignored, Hollobaugh claims.

The truck driver was transported directly to the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Belle Vernon. Soon after, he was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond. Hollobaugh accuses Jacobs of falsely charging him with resisting arrest, reckless endangerment and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

In his complaint, Hollobaugh is accusing the officer of violating his Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable and excessive force. Consequently, the trucker claims he “suffered severe emotional distress, embarrassment and humiliation, for which he has received and/or may require additional medical, psychological/psychiatric treatment in the future.”

When reached for comment, the Pennsylvania State Police told Land Line that it does not comment on pending litigation. LL