Local Government TV

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Bethlehem Cop Bouncer Was Under House Arrest

On Monday night, the star witness against decorated Bethlehem police officer Richard Hoffman was a bar bouncer who had every reason to be angry at police. You see, he's had issues with various police departments over the years. In fact, at the time of his supposed altercation, bouncer Scott Hunsicker was under house arrest for a second offense DUI. Judge Leonard Zito had imposed a seven-day jail sentence, 23-days in work release and another 60 days of house arrest with electronic monitoring.

In 2008, Hunsicker pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct charges filed in Monroe County. According to The Pocono Record, he was charged with "Underage Drinking and Disorderly Conduct after he was found to be in possession of alcohol and drug paraphernalia on Analomink Street, East Stroudsburg."

One year later, he graduated to drunk driving. He was placed on accelerated rehabilitative disposition, a special program for first offenders. For some reason, he apparently lost ARD status and pleaded to first offense drunk driving.

In Northampton County, Hunsicker was pulled over by state police in 2009 for going 16 mph above the speed limit. The following year, he beat his 2009 record by going 19 mph above the posted 65 mph speed limit.

This person seemed quite pleased with himself and was called "quite heroic." I have to wonder whether he would have received that accolade had his past been known and disclosed.  In fact, I wonder whether Solicitor Bill Leeson would have asked him to testify.

55 comments:

  1. Give it up on this one Bernie. You just look foolish now.

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  2. Lets me get this straight. A person who committed offenses against the public was serving his sentence properly as administered by a judge, a judge you like btw since he came down hard on both Gregory and Mezzacappa, is now a person that has zero credibility. That is the same as saying if a person was striped by a higher body of their bar license has zero credibility. You really do need to give it up. For some reason, I believe that you have a connection with this soon to be former police officer. I don't know the reason but I believe there has to be some connection. It is really starting to fly flags on how you are defending a man that is sworn to protect citizens and uphold the law that he very aggressively broke. The man not only broke the law he is responsible for policing, he also put citizens in a position to be killed. People have been fired for far less. I hate to say it, he will be looking for a new position soon.

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  3. The bouncer is not the one who screwed up his job. The drunk cop is responsible. Kudos for the bouncer to stand up for himself despite obvious reprisals and having the union thugs sic you on him.

    The bouncer is the real hero. Time to move on to a worthy cause and not this loose cannon cop. The days of Dirty Harry movies are over. The boy can't hold his liqueur and we don't want him on the city dime.

    Get Brown to make him the new Sheriff.

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  4. anon 12:22, O'Hare made all the same excuses for Joe Brenan right up to the end. Some kind of drunk's code.

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  5. I don't understand your bizarro world analogy, but the reference to Gregory and Mezzacappa makes pretty clear who you are. This bouncer's criminal history is relevant because it shows he has a reason to dislike police. I also question the wisdom of allowing someone with a second offense DUI who is still under house arrest, to work in a bar. Your claim that I have some connection to this officer is false. i have never met him or even spoke to him, although i wish him luck. There is no doubt in my mind he will win his arbitration. this is a weak case, and the City should recognize that, save some taxpayer money and work out a deal involving a long suspension, rehab, and a "last chance" letter. But everyone is afraid of the public, who will scream loudly, but would scream even louder if they were treated so unfairly.

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  6. This police officer is done for... the dude hit multiple cars and flipped his own. In police work, there is no second chance. Once and done!! He made a really bad choice, but that is the consequence when you make the choice to be an officer of the law. Remember PA is an at-will employment state.

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  7. Um, police officers are protected by union contracts, and since they have no right to strike, they do have a right to demand binding arbitration. Officer Hoffman has already moved in that direction, and will win unless someone with sense risks the wrath of anonymous trolls and works out a deal that is fair to the Officer and the public.

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  8. Lets air the as-yet unspoken truth: If an officer gets in this much trouble that the blue veil has been pierced on about 5 separate occasions, if very very safe assume there are at least 10 occasions no one knows of.

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  9. That's right. Go get the rope. Let's string him up for something he might have done. Do you live in America?

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  10. Attack a hard working bouncer about his past. Cast aspersions on a city business owner. You are quite the self-rigorous little prick. Who did the background check on this citizen and fed you all the information from a city computer? This is the harassment people must endure when they fight for their rights.

    I applaud both men for coming forward despite possible retribution. Going against a cop is not smart but it is brave if the cop is in the wrong.
    This cop has had his brothers covering for him for years. Even the blood test wait was nice, still flunked it. I know a lady stopped at one of those roadside money makers, forced by a cop to walk in a straight line on an icy road. She protested and asked for a breath test but the cop said he was in charge and she would do what he said. That's how the rest of us are treated.

    Enough excuses O'Hare. the guy is dangerous and the city will be used one day because of this loose cannon.

    The poster is right, he has been covered for many of his incidents. how many don't we know about. the guy is gone and your legal opinion is worth as much as your law degree.

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  11. O'Hare adheres to Drunk Code!

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  12. I guess the cops in philly were wrong handcuffing him when he was drunk leaving a club. Anybody else would have been arrested for assault. This guy is no good and had more chances than most. I guess the bouncer was driving his truck that could have killed somebody too. Get real

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  13. Bethlehem has a cadre of high-risk cops. Look for more trouble in the near future.

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  14. grasping at straws? Barking up the wrong tree? Drunk code or just stupid. Take your pick bernie

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  15. So now you attack somebody who witnessed against your cop friend. You are going to be busy writing hit pieces on a room full of people. Underage drinking and speeding? Couldn't you dig up better, like DUI, hitting cars and flipping his own? Oh. That's right. That was your pal, Hoffman.

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  16. So police officers can get DUIs and chalk it up to PTSD. (Based on a prior post.) Bouncers whom we know nothing about, however, get crucified for the DUIs in their past.

    Makes sense to me!

    By the way, if you looked at the criminal history of bar workers, it would NOT be pretty. This bouncer is no exception. But both the bouncer and this cop sound like Class A losers.

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  17. wow-this guy has some problems.

    if he were a bethlehem cop. i'd fire him too...

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  18. Boy Bernie, your 2 or 3 enemies have been up all night with spell-check. Niether one lives in Beth (W Easton and Atown?) but they know everything. Time for the drug cocktails you Villains!

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  19. I could write the sky is blue, and those morons would spend the whole night with anonymous, name-calling denials. i didn't mind the discussion yesterday with someone who disagreed with me and knew what he was talking about. But these idiots just end up making themselves look bad. I'm sure they have to replace a lot of carpets bc they seem to spend a lot of time rolling on the floor, foaming at the mouth.

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  20. The argument that we excuse the police officer while hammering the bouncer is illogical. I am not trying to take away the bouncer's livelihood. I am pointing out that his past gives him reason to dislike police officers, and that is something to consider in evaluating what weight to attach to his testimony.

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  21. Do you honestly think that getting in legal trouble automatically makes one have an issue with cops? I had run ins with cops back in my younger days, but I knew they were doing a job and it wasn't something personal.You don't seem to believe people are capable of personal responsibility..

    An optimist might believe that he is thankful to the cops for giving him a wake up call to deal with a problem.

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  22. He was under house arrest on the day of this supposed altercation. I honestly don't think he was bubbling over with gratitude. Also, when he was testifying, he seemed quite pleased with himself. I now know why. It is information to consider in evaluating this guy 's credibility.

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  23. Bernie,

    If I ever get in trouble, I want to hire you as an adviser to whatever legal counsel I obtain. You seriously need to start practicing law again. This is awesome work. You are really leaving no stones unturned. I doubt some attorneys would have even thought to look at some of the things you pursue. Great job!

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  24. Well, thank you. Officer Hoffman has an excellent lawyer who will represent his client well in arbitration. Bill Leeson, representing the City, is another of the best. And he has a great deal of personal integrity.

    As an uncontested matter, I think this case is very weak. In arbitration, ot's going to get a lot worse.

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  25. Again Bernie is cherry picking...I have seen Bernie crucify people on this blog FOR FAR less then what this dirty cop did. To me it’s not JUST the 2 DUI's but the person he is and the job he cannot handle. He was involved in a cover up and oh wait let’s not forget the person who he DID not search that had a gun. Prob was still drunk from a night of partying. Bernie will only abuse and attack people that he has a personal grudge against
    I hope that Mr. Hoffman get the help he needs to clean up his life. Many people have personal demons they fight everyday
    BUT
    Bottom line is this man is no longer even CLOSE to being a credible cop!

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  26. Gotta' love the anonymous personal attacks and assumptions here. This obviously comes from someone who hates me and will sacrifice a decorated Bethlehem police officer in pursuit if a vendetta.

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  27. Bernie - you seem to be all over the fact that the Hoffman is capable of atoning for his sins, and can make substantial changes in his behavior and never cross the line again.

    Why not give the bouncer the benefit of the doubt, instead of using his past to discredit his present and throwing him under the patrol car?

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  28. If it involved the bouncer's livelihood, and he had the distinguished record that Officer Hoffman has, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt, to be sure. But when he is trying to take someone's livelihood away, and is attacking a decorated officer and has a reason to dislike police, I will view what he says with suspicion.

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  29. Ernie likes well built twinks that have handcuffs, hence his Hoffman crusade

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  30. "Distinguished". That's if you're referring to being a distinguished bully and drinker.

    Who's your next hit piece on, or are you going to stick with the guy who removed an ass from the establishment.

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  31. 11:06,
    O'hare doesn't recognize sarcasm unless its his.

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  32. SCREW this!
    you have attacked FINE public servants for FAR LESS because of your hatefulness! Look back on your blog at the people who have made a mistakes, taken full responsibility and you still persecuted them

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  33. distinguished record that Officer Hoffman has
    You are F* kidding me right?

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  34. My guess is that O'Hare is being paid in money or other services to be digging into the bouncer's background and diverting the real issue of a bad drunken copper...

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  35. The more vicious the anonymous personal attack, the more effective I know I've been. Thanks.

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  36. It figures a progressive low information person like Dolan would call the bouncer a Hero. Wondering how many people this so called Hero almost killed when he was speeding and driving drunk? Would like Dolan to let me know the answer to that one.

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  37. I'm guessing less than a drunk, speeding cop with an attitude, a gun, and a worse history of stupidity.

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  38. "The more vicious the anonymous personal attack, the more effective I know I've been. Thanks."

    Actually it shows how far off based you are. People don't want a drunk cowboy as a police officer. the entire drunk boy Bethlehem mystique is gone with Johnny Casino.

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  39. More of these young officers will pop up on Bethlehems radar.
    This is the tip of the iceberg.
    The new mayor will have no choice but to address this. Another legacy issue carry-over from the last administration.

    Tick-Tock.

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  40. You conveniently forget to point out that it is the previous administration that recommended that Officer Hoffman be terminated, and improperly leaked his employment history. But if I know one thing about anonymous trolls, it's that they don 'to let facts get in the way of their hate.

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  41. " a decorated officer"

    What with vomit? Standard decoration for showing up. You are really laying it on thick O'Hare. You alky's have a club or something?

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  42. Like I said, the vicious and anonymous hate posted her makes the troll look that much more foolish and Officer Hoffman that much better.

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  43. This is very relevant. Thank you for shedding light on this Bernie. It's important to get the other side of the story. Clearly the news media and others aren't interested in looking into these issues. They just want to kick Hoffman while he's down. I couldn't believe how the bouncer acted while testifying and then how he was declared a hero. (At first I thought she was being sarcastic, but after it was stated that he should receive a promotion it was hard not to gag.) I really don't buy into that whole story at all. If Bethlehem cops frequent your bar why would you worry about what one cop supposedly said? That whole story is grabbing at straws just like the casino. These aggravating factors are weak. The links they are trying to make, the points they are trying to fabricate are non-sense.

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  44. anon 9:09 Not only was it the Callahan Administration that investigated and discovered this officers history they were also the ones that recommended the firing. in fact not including Hoffman the Callahan administration took 3 officers before Council and successfully got 3 officers released. Far more than any other administration in Bethlehem history. His administration also formed the professional services division in the PD and national and state accredidation. You are barking up the wrong tree here pal. But dont let the facts get in the way of a good story. Right?

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  45. Callahan's legacy is different rules for the "right" people. He set the example of the drinking partying mayor. He and his pals played at the bars and other places. They were above the rules and arrogantly let you know it.
    Some people could do that, if you were part of the Callahan group or liked buy them. If you were not you were attacked.

    That was why many were surprised when Lisa Boscola threw Joe Kelly a lifeline.

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  46. I think You need to stop listening to Your friend Lucy and pay more attetion to detail Mr O Hare,,this cop has been in trouble from th estart, He should have been gone several times but WE protect our ownand now He is out of favors He is a loser and always wil be.,,

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  47. I think you need to stop concluding that my opinions come from anyone but me. I have never discussed Officer Hoffman with lucy, nor do I know how she feels about this matter. I know how I feel. Your star witness has issues. You have had your opportunity to give officer Hoffman your best shot. It will fail in arbitration. Anonymous personal attacks here won't change that, but demonstrate your own poor judgment.

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  48. Bernie O'Hare 10:12 AM
    Basically what you're saying is that anyone who has had a run in with police officers automatically means they don't like them?? I've been pulled over once or twice for speeding and I'm married to a police officer, I guess I don't like him. You do not personally know the bouncer so I don't think you should be making assumptions about whether he likes or dislikes police officers.

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  49. You could be right. you could be wrong. This goes to the bouncer;s credibility. Based in what i see, he seemed quite pleased with himself. His mist provides an explanation. Incredibly, a 2-time drunk driver with a penchant for speeding and drugs is Bethlehem's star witness against a decorated police officer. He was under house arrest on the day of the supposed altercation. This is something City Council should have been told, though I doubt Att'y Leeson would have called this witness had he known these details.

    And guess what? I sign my name and take responsibility for what I write. These are my words. You folks attack others, don't identify yourself, and sit in judgment of people who put their lives on the line every day.

    I can be highly critical of police officers, too, and have been. But guess what? I call things as I see them, not based on what some politico wants.

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  50. " Bethlehem's star witness against a decorated police officer."

    This "decorates" officer who was drunk on numerous occasions. he should be in jail in Philly for assaulting an officer, anyone else would be but he is a cop and the blue code got him out of town with a free ride from a fellow cop.

    Sorry O'Hare the more you try to tarnish the bouncer, club owner and everyone but the responsible party you come off as a fool. this "decorated" cop is another Jim Gregory and will be let go. If it cost the city a few thousand due to public union thuggery, so be it.

    At least we won't have another drunk cowboy with a badge and a gun on the street.

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  51. The bouncer was one witness, not what you refer to as "The Star Witness". The former and current Police Chiefs both testified that Hoffman is unfit to serve and should be terminated. The former and current Mayor both recommended that Hoffman be terminated.
    Lets assume everything that you have assumed about the bouncer is correct. The employees at Molly's had no idea Hoffman was a cop until after Hoffman started a fight with another customer and then choked the customer with his bare hands. Then and only then did the bouncer physically remove Hoffman. Hoffman was put outside the bar and the owner took over from there. The owner testified about the same facts. So, is the owner now making the whole thing up about Hoffman also? The owner was so upset about the surprise visit by the cops and fire dept. the next day, that he asked for a meeting with the Fire and Police Chiefs within a week of the incident. I guess it's time to start going after the credibility of the owner now also. LOL.
    The Star witness against Hoffman is Hoffman. Hoffman accepted and admitted his role and intoxicated state in the Philly incident in which he threatened and assaulted a Philly cop. His superiors had to drive down to Philly in the middle of the night to get Hoffman out of JAIL! He told his superiors that it would never happen again and that he understood he could be terminated. It did happen again when he drove intoxicated last Summer and hit four cars and lied about how it happened. But then again, I'm sure the bouncer somehow had something to do with those incidents too. LOL

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  52. Your recitation is factually inaccurate. You either were not at the hearing or are a liar.

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  53. What is factually inaccurate?

    Fact:Hoffman was reprimanded in 2005 for being intoxicated and assaulting a Philly cop.He threatened that he was going to bring 20 BPD officers down the next day. His superiors had to go pick him up and get him out of jail.

    Fact: He was given a written warning that any future issues would result in his termination and he agreed to the reprimand.

    Fact: In 2013, he got in a car heavily intoxicated and hit FOUR PARKED CARS and rolled his car over. He initially lied about the cause of the incident to the investigating officer.

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  54. What is flawed about your anonymous summation is the following:

    1) There is no evidence that he assaulted a Phila. Police officer. The evidence is that he was at a wedding party, was drinking and was involved in an altercation in an incident that is now 9 years old.

    2) he was reprimanded and was told that an incident of that kind (altercation with Philly officer) would result in termination. He was not told that no transgression of any kind would be permitted. That is a dishonest twist on your part.

    3) there is no evidence he lied about his accident to anyone. He thought he saw someone dart in front of his car when distracted by a text, and was mistaken about that. He admitted the text and said he had to be mistaken about the pedestrian or he would have hit the person. You call him a liar when he was painfully honest. You attack someone else's honesty but can't identify yourself.

    This post published Friday at 12:00 am, and here you are on Sinday at 10 pm, anonymously attacking this officer's character. You obviously have a vendetta against him or me for defending him.

    The City of Bethlehem has not once attacked the integrity of this officer. But people like you will tell outright lies so long as you don't have to sign your name.

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