Zachary T. Cyr is headed to prison after acknowledging Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court that he assaulted a Shenandoah police officer in September 2014.
Cyr, 22, of Pottsville, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, terroristic threats and possessing an instrument of crime, with prosecutors withdrawing two counts of simple assault and one each of recklessly endangering another person and defiant trespass.
Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin accepted Cyr’s plea and, pursuant to an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced him to serve four to 23 months in prison, pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Dolbin made the sentence effective at 10 a.m. Monday.
“You’re getting a very good deal here,” Dolbin told Cyr, who said little during the hearing except to indicate that he understood the terms of his plea and was entering it knowingly and voluntarily.
Shenandoah police charged Cyr with assaulting Patrolman Joshua Pastucka with a knife between 9:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Sept. 9, 2014, at 23 S. Chestnut St., Shenandoah.
Police said Pastucka and Capt. Michael J. O’Neill answered a call from that house, which was owned by the defendant’s mother, Catherine Cyr.
Catherine Cyr told Pastucka that she wanted her son out of her house, according to police. Pastucka entered the house to speak with Zachary Cyr, who pulled a steak knife and threatened to kill him, police said.
Police said Pastucka then drew his service revolver, but Zachary Cyr continued to approach and point the knife at him.
Catherine Cyr then forced her way between Pastucka and her son, whom she was able to disarm before he was arrested.