Pottstown man jailed for domestic violence
NORRISTOWN » A Pottstown man was sent to jail after he was involved in two domestic-related incidents, one at his residence and another at a borough motel, during which he assaulted and choked a woman.
Terence Reddick, 32, of the 500 block of West High Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 11½ to 23 months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of strangulation in connection with the first incident, June 24, 2019, at his West High Street residence.
Judge Thomas C. Branca, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Reddick to complete three years’ probation following parole, meaning Reddick will be under court supervision for about five years. The judge ordered Reddick to complete domestic violence and anger management counseling programs and to have no contact with the victim as conditions of the sentence.
By pleading guilty to the strangulation charge, Reddick admitted that he knowingly or intentionally impeded the breathing or circulation of the blood of another person by applying pressure to the throat or neck.
Other charges of aggravated and simple assault, resisting arrest, recklessly endangering another person, harassment and terroristic threats were dismissed against Reddick as part of the plea agreement.
An investigation began about 4:53 p.m. when Pottstown police responded to the West High Street apartment after a neighbor reported a domestic disturbance at the residence. When police arrived they heard a woman screaming “get off me” and loud banging coming from inside Reddick’s second-floor apartment and no one would answer police knocks at the door, according to the criminal complaint.
Police overhead a male voice tell the female to be quiet and a short time later the female yelled that the male was leaving through a second-floor rear window. Police ran to the rear of the residence and observed Reddick on the roof run
ning to the east side of the building, according to the criminal complaint filed by Pottstown Police Officer Michael J. Damiano.
Reddick then jumped off the roof and ran toward West High Street and police gave chase, according to court papers. Reddick then allegedly circled around and attempted to re-enter his apartment. When Reddick ignored police commands, officers deployed a Taser, which ultimately allowed them to gain control of Reddick as he reentered the apartment, court papers indicate.
The victim told police that Reddick had been drinking alcohol at the time an argument ensued.
“Victim advised defendant struck her with a closed fist multiple times all around her body and strangled her close to 10 times throughout the day. She stated that any time she tried to get to her phone he would throw it away from her,” Damiano alleged in the arrest affidavit.
“Victim advised the last time she was strangled defendant held her throat and placed his other hand over her mouth. She advised she passed out and hit the floor. Victim stated she was screaming, trying to attract attention so someone would call the police for her,” Damiano added.
Police said the victim had visible red marks on her neck, scratches on her chest and visible red marks on her arms.
Reddick also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of simple assault in connection with a Sept. 4, 2019, domestic disturbance at the
Quality Inn on West King Street involving the same victim. Police alleged Reddick, while free awaiting court action for the June incident, showed up at the victim’s hotel room and punched and strangled her during an argument, according to court papers. The victim eventually was able to call 911 during the assault.
“During this time of the altercation, the victim stated she was scared and feared severe physical injury from the defendant,” Pottstown Police Officer Timothy J. Cascio wrote in the criminal complaint.
Under the plea agreement, the judge sentenced Reddick to two years’ probation for the September incident, with the sentence running concurrently with the jail and probationary sentence imposed for the June incident.