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Legislators announce millions in state grants

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$16M in LSA grants awarded to Luzerne County communities

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A 34-year-old man threatened to kill city police officers and their families; spit into an officer&#8217;s eyes; and intentionally banged his head multiple times, contaminating a cruiser with his blood, court records say.</p><p>James William Sweeney allegedly struggled with police at his residence at 66 Horton St. and at police headquarters throughout the day Monday.</p><p>The ordeal began when an officer responded to Sweeney&#8217;s house for a fight involving two men just before 9:30 a.m. Once the officer arrived, Sweeney opened the door and immediately slammed it shut yelling, &#8220;Go (expletive) yourself,&#8221; court records say.</p><p>A second man inside the house attempted to open a door to allow officers inside but was assaulted by Sweeney, police allege.</p><p>Officers forced their way inside.</p><p>Sweeney allegedly threw an item that struck an officer&#8217;s head, causing a laceration. He struggled with officers by refusing to place his hands behind his back and kept his right arm under his body while lying on the floor, court records say.</p><p>After Sweeney was handcuffed, he allegedly spat saliva that struck both eyes of an officer.</p><p>Hours later when police prepared to transport Sweeney to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility, police advised him that restraints were going to be placed on his wrists.</p><p>Sweeney allegedly replied with a string of profanity: &#8220;(Expletive) you, I was born a rebel and not going to jail,&#8221; &#8220;(Expletive) you, I&#8217;m not wearing any handcuffs and I will fight you all,&#8221; &#8220;(Expletive) you, I don&#8217;t give a s&#8212;-, you&#8217;re going to have to force me.&#8221;</p><p>As officers attempted to secure Sweeney with restraints on his wrists and legs, he struggled and broke free, punching an officer in the head, court records say.</p><p>Sweeney allegedly continued to fight officers saying, &#8220;I&#8217;m going to kill you and your whole family. I&#8217;m a (expletive) rebel, you&#8217;ll see.&#8221;</p><p>Officers secured Sweeney after a struggle that lasted about two minutes.</p><p>While he was being driven to the correctional facility, he loosened his seat belt and repeatedly banged his head against a barrier, causing a laceration that got blood in the cruiser, records state.</p><p>Sweeney was arraigned late Monday afternoon by District Judge Richard Cronauer in Wilkes-Barre on three counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault, and one count each of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and harassment. He was jailed at the correctional facility for lack of $10,000 bail.</p><p>On the alleged offenses at police headquarters and the incident inside the cruiser, he was arraigned Tuesday by District James Haggerty in Central Court on charges of terroristic threats, institutional vandalism and resisting arrest. His bail on the second set of charges was set at $10,000 unsecured.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_James-Sweeney-03262019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Sweeney </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_James-Sweeney-03262019.jpg</photo0><caption0>Sweeney </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Suspect reportedly tells police he was ‘born a rebel and not going to jail’