A Pennsylvania state trooper has been arrested for allegedly abusing his power to hold his ex-girlfriend in a psychiatric facility for several days against her will. Ronald K. Davis, 37, was apprehended on Thursday following his suspension from the state police force. Prosecutors claim that Davis falsely claimed the woman, identified as “M.F.,” was suicidal, petitioned for her involuntary commitment, and physically restrained her before she was taken to a hospital. However, staff at the hospital determined that M.F. was not suicidal after she shared context and evidence of Davis’s controlling behavior before their breakup. A criminal investigation was then launched.
Davis is now facing multiple charges, including strangulation, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and official oppression. Attorneys representing him have not responded to requests for comment, and he is due back in court on October 2nd. A photo released by the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office shows Davis detaining his ex-girlfriend.
According to Davis’s criminal complaint, he sought assistance from fellow police officers while off-duty on August 21st, claiming that M.F. had been acting erratically and sent him a text message stating that she was going to commit suicide. He allegedly asked the officers to involuntarily commit her, but they advised him to contact the county’s crisis intervention team instead. Ignoring their advice, Davis used his status as a state trooper and his official email to report the situation. Officers were sent to M.F.’s home for a welfare check, but she could not be located. When the involuntary mental health commitment was approved, Davis, still off-duty and in plain clothes, took a copy and declared he would handle it himself. While on his way to M.F.’s home, Davis reached out to Kerry Teter, a civilian, and asked for his assistance in finding her.
Teter later told police that Davis claimed M.F. was threatening to kill herself, but provided little detail. Davis and Teter eventually found M.F. in a picnic area, where Davis confronted her, grabbed her, and forcibly carried her to his car when she tried to escape. According to Teter’s account, Davis instructed him to record the incident. The recorded footage, which was released by the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office, shows Davis restraining his ex-girlfriend while she repeatedly questions why she is being held and tries to free herself. At one point, Davis forcefully pulls her legs out from under her, causing her to fall to the ground. M.F. strikes Davis multiple times as she struggles to get away, but he continues to hold her down by driving his chest into her. Throughout the ordeal, M.F. can be heard saying she cannot breathe. Teter asserts that M.F. appeared to be unarmed and he believed she posed no threat to herself.
After the incident, officers arrived to enforce the involuntary commitment and transported M.F. to the hospital, where she received treatment for physical injuries allegedly caused by Davis pushing her to the ground. She was then moved to a psychiatric facility within the hospital. Davis told responding officers that M.F. had sent him suicidal messages and claimed she responded to his inquiry about her actions with, “What I have to do.” However, the messages did not contain any suicidal or homicidal threats, and M.F.’s comments appeared to be hypothetical. Furthermore, Davis allegedly texted M.F. that he would frame her. While committed, M.F. displayed no signs of self-harm or violence and cooperated with medical personnel.
Five days later, during a police interview, M.F. revealed that she and Davis had ended their four-month relationship and cited ideological differences and control exerted by Davis as factors in their arguments. She shared photographs of messages exchanged between them, which depicted escalating disputes leading up to her involuntary commitment. One message showed Davis’s jealousy over one of M.F.’s previous relationships.
The authorities have charged that Davis omitted crucial information, as M.F. did not pose an immediate danger to herself as he claimed. Instead, her frustration with Davis and his controlling behavior, along with her desire to end the relationship, were apparent in the text messages. This omission played a critical role in obtaining the involuntary mental health commitment. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
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