Police K9 Handler Charged With Strangulation, Assault In Westmoreland County

GREENSBURG, PA — A police officer in Westmoreland County is accused of strangling and assaulting a woman he had been dating for several months, local media report and court records confirm.

Court records show Kenneth J. Burke, 35, of Greensburg faces a felony strangulation charge, a simple assault charge, and a harassment charge. Westmoreland County Prosecutor Nicole Ziccarelli told Patch her office referred his case to the Pennsylvania Attorney General.

As TribLive's Renatta Signorini reported, Burke is a handler for police K9 Ace and is a member of the Westmoreland SWAT unit.

Records show Westmoreland County detectives arrested Burke on July 15, one day after the victim says she was assaulted. He later posted a $10,000 bail, according to district court documents.

The victim told detectives Burke tried to choke her after accusing her of giving an unknown woman his phone number, WPXI reported. He carried her towards the bedroom, threw her down, and told her to kill herself, the report said.

Police Chief Shawn Denning told TribLive Burke is on paid administrative leave, and that his service weapon and work vehicle are in the city's possession.