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Crime & Safety

Police: Upper Nazareth Man Lied About Palmer Detective's Assault

Todd Hoadley, 42, of Upper Nazareth is accused of lying to police -- and forcing three other people to fib as well -- about a Palmer Township detective punching him twice in the face.

Authorities say an Upper Nazareth man’s claim he was punched in the face by a Palmer Township detective is a lie.

And they say Todd Hoadley’s claim that his girlfriend, his daughter and his daughter’s friend witnessed the assault is also a lie. In fact, the girlfriend and the daughter’s friend recanted what they previously told police and said they didn’t see any assault.

Hoadley, 42, also changed his story somewhat during a second interview. He still insisted he was assaulted but this time could not identify his assailant. He added that he was going to “stick to his story.”

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In a previous case, Hoadley admitted in Northampton County Court in April 2011 he threatened three girls who argued with his 13-year-old daughter, telling them he was a Nazi and could have their families killed. He was sentenced to three to six months in prison, according to a previously published story.

Here are details about the so-called assault and its aftermath as told in a criminal complaint by Upper Nazareth police officer William Cope:

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  • Hoadley, speaking to Cope on June 28, said he was standing on the porch of his home on the 2000 block of Blossom Hill Road when a Palmer Township detective pulled up in an unmarked Ford Crown Victoria. He said the detective had short hair and was wearing sunglasses, a blue T-shirt, blue jeans and black boots.
  • Hoadley said the detective walked up to him and said “get rid of your lawyer and plead guilty to your retail theft charge.” Then, Hoadley said, the detective punched him. He said the detective was the same officer who arrested him for alleged retail theft.

    (Online court records say Palmer police charged Hoadley with retail theft in connection with a June 12 incident. The records identify the arresting officer as James Alerica -- the man Hoadley says punched him. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 24 before District Judge Jackie Taschner.)
  • Hoadley told Cope he was “set up” for the arrest. He also said his girlfriend, his daughter and his daughter’s friend witnessed the assault. Cope took statements from all three, and all three said they witnessed the assault.
  • But the day after Hoadley spoke to police, the daughter’s friend came to the Upper Nazareth police station and told another officer she did not see an assault and that she, the daughter and the girlfriend were sleeping. She said Hoadley came into the house stating he was punched by a Palmer police officer.
  • The friend said Hoadley contacted police and told her and the other two they needed to tell police that the Palmer officer got out of a white car wearing a blue shirt, jeans and dark boots and punched him twice in the face. She said he took her and the daughter outside and showed them where they were supposed to have been standing when they observed the assault.
  • The friend said that after Cope left the home, Hoadley told her she would go to juvenile detention for three years if she told anyone the truth.
  • On July 2, Cope interviewed the girlfriend, who said she did not see anything and had been sleeping when Hoadley came into the house with a cut on his face.
  • Cope talked to Hoadley again, also on July 2, when he insisted he was assaulted but this time did not say his assailant was the Palmer detective. He said he could not identify his assailant.
  • Cope wrote that the charges against Hoadley were based on the recanted statements of the daughter’s friend and the girlfriend “along with the documented whereabouts of Det. James Alerica.”

A warrant for Hoadley’s arrest was issued Aug. 2 by District Judge John Capobianco of Nazareth. Hoadley was taken into custody Saturday (Sept. 15).

He was charged with corruption of minors, two counts of intimidation of witnesses or victims, and false reports to law enforcement authorities.

He was arraigned Saturday by on-duty District Judge Diane Marakovits of Northampton and committed to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $10,000 bail.

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