Hagerstown man denied bail after police say he assaulted two state troopers

A Hagerstown man was taken into custody June 1 after police say two Pennsylvania state troopers were assaulted.

Branden Sier, 26, is charged with multiple felony counts of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, bomb threats and more, according to court documents.

In the early hours of June 1, state police from the Chambersburg barracks responded to a call involving an assault committed against other troopers.

It was reported that troopers had originally been dispatched to a hit-and-run crash and, after attempting to conduct a traffic stop on the striking vehicle, a pursuit was initiated, police said.

During a police interview later that morning, a state trooper related that two other state troopers in a marked state police vehicle traveled southbound on I-81 toward Greencastle in pursuit of a 1993 blue Ford E150 van bearing Maryland registration under suspicion of a hit-and-run.

The troopers parked at a traffic light at the intersection of Molly Pitcher Highway and the I-81 southbound off-ramp in Antrim Township, Franklin County.

As this Ford van approached, the troopers deployed spike strips, which successfully made contact with all four of the van's tires. It continued traveling southbound on Route 11, so the troopers got back into their vehicle and continued to pursue the van. As they approached the area near the Greencastle Fire Department, troopers initiated a "Pursuit Intervention Technique" maneuver to force the Ford van to a stop.

The troopers exited their vehicle, giving verbal commands for the two occupants to exit the van. Neither occupant complied with the commands, according to court documents.

Shining a light into the rear seat of the van, troopers said they witnessed the driver attempting to exit the vehicle through the rear passenger area with "what appeared to be a red-in-color pocket knife or box cutter in the driver's right hand."

The driver, later identified as Sier, refused to exit the van. As troopers gained entry to the vehicle to apprehend Sier, one was kicked one time in the chest and one time in his face on his right cheek.

One trooper said the defendant continued to kick him approximately 15 times throughout the course of the struggle. Another trooper said he had been kicked as well.

To gain control of Sier, who still had the box cutter in his right hand, the trooper twisted his hand. With the help of additional law enforcement to pry open the van's doors, Sier was taken into custody.

Additional trooper interviews and video footage from the cruiser on the scene corroborated the assault, according to court documents.

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After he was handcuffed, police related that Sier began saying "random thoughts," which included a statement about having a bomb.

Sier told the troopers that he was transporting a bomb for the CIA and that the bomb was located under the van he had been driving. One of the troopers asked Sier if, by the CIA, he meant the federal agency, but Sier told him that was not what he meant. He said he was referring to some kind of gang.

Troopers observed multiple tools, large "ball bearings," black powder and what appeared to be a powder loader (similar to an old muzzleloader), according to court documents.

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After receiving this information, troopers secured the scene and evacuated the occupants of two nearby residences. The Pennsylvania State Police Hazardous Device and Explosives Section conducted a public safety search of the vehicle, where no "completed or fully manufactured explosive devices" were located.

Later that day, police obtained a search warrant for the van and seized multiple items, including a black plastic ammo can containing black powder firearm accessories, one red pocket knife, one green body armor vest, one small green plastic container containing a "green leafy substance," and one multi-colored glass pipe with burnt residue.

Sier was denied bail on grounds that no amount could ensure the public's safety or the defendant's appearance in court.

He is scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge Duane Cunningham for a preliminary hearing on June 15.

Carley Bonk is a Watchdog Reporter for the USA Today Network - Pennsylvania. Her coverage spans across the southcentral region of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at cbonk@publicopinionnews.com or on Twitter at @carls_marie.