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Teen Smoked 'Pot' in Courthouse, Struck Police Car, Officials Say

Posted on: Thursday, 23 March 2006, 09:00 CST

By Reading Eagle, Pa.

Mar. 23--Reading police arrested a 17-year-old city boy Wednesday night after he smoked marijuana in the lobby of the Berks County Courthouse and then used a metal ashtray to repeatedly strike a Northern Berks Regional police cruiser parked outside, officials said.

The youth, who refused to give his name or address to police, was committed to St. Joseph Medical Center for a psychological evaluation, police said.

"I couldn't believe it," said city Patrolman Mark Groff, who arrested the boy. "We were standing right here (on the sidewalk outside the courthouse) and he was looking at us when he started hitting the police car with the metal ashtray."

The car's windows were chipped and scratched.

Courthouse guard Tony Williams said he was standing by the metal detector in the courthouse lobby about 9:30 when he smelled marijuana and saw the boy smoking on the stairs in front of the guard post.

"I told him he couldn't smoke in the building and he said he wanted to get arrested," Williams said. "That kid must be one of the world's dumbest criminals."

Williams said he asked a Reading patrolman to escort the boy from the courthouse. The marijuana cigarette had been smoked and was gone when police led him from the building, investigators said.

About 10 minutes later, Groff said he saw the boy striking the squad car parked near the Court Street entrance to the building.

The patrolman who parked the car was in the courtroom on an unrelated case and did not know the boy, police said.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Reading Eagle, Pa.

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Source: Reading Eagle

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