Morrisville, Pa. Cpl. Michael Pitcher is expected to make a full recovery.
The Morrisville, Pa. police officer who suffered burns from an electric shock during a drug arrest was released from the hospital Wednesday, Morrisville police and the Intelligencer newspaper reported.
Morrisville police, file photo. Cpl. Michael Pitcher is expected to make a full recovery after being treated at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Chief of Bucks County Detectives Christopher McAteer said in the report.
Pitcher was injured Tuesday afternoon when he climbed atop a SEPTA train car in Doylestown to retrieve a bag that contained about 89 bags of suspected heroin, that was tossed away by Dominique McLean Rivers, 26, of Philadelphia, who was running from police, arrest papers say, the paper reported.
Authorities said Pitcher was burned by electric current emanating from an insulator on the roof of the rail car.
Morrisville police Chief George McClay said the entire department is just happy Pitcher is alive.
"That could have been a very tragic situation," McClay told the paper. "People look at the dangers of being a police officer as just the cops and robbers aspects, but there are a lot of other ways that they put themselves in danger every day, as this incident shows."
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.