THERE WAS AN ALLEGED ABUSE OF POWER when a married police officer was accused of unlawfully holding his mistress.
State trooper Ronald Davis was arrested after his ex-girlfriend Michelle Perfanov was detained and released.
Who is Pennsylvania State Police trooper Ronald Davis and why was he arrested?
Ronald K. Davis, a state police trooper from Williamstown, Pennsylvania, was born on July 23, 1986.
Davis is assigned to patrol Lebanon, Berks, and Schuylkill counties for the Pennsylvania State Police.
On September 21, 2023, Davis was arrested in connection with Michelle Perfanov’s alleged wrongful detention and charged with:
- Felony strangulation
- Unlawful restraint
- False imprisonment
- Simple assault
- Recklessly endangering another person
- Official oppression
Davis and Perfanov had a previous four-month intimate involvement, according to an affidavit provided by the Dauphin County District Attorney.
“These are merely charges and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” Dauphin County said in a statement.
“IN THAT, on or about said date, THE DEFENDANT did knowingly or intentionally impede the breathing or circulation of the blood of another person by applying pressure to the throat or neck.”
Under the Mental Health Procedures Act, he acquired an involuntary commitment for Perfanov to have her admitted to a psychiatric ward for supposed “mental health problems.”
According to the affidavit, Davis obtained the warrant to have Perfanov committed based on text message conversations between the two.
Davis can be seen in a civilian video linked to Dauphin County’s affidavit attempting to arrest Perfanov when he is off duty.
Perfanov battles against Davis in the 12-minute video, appearing puzzled and insisting she “did nothing wrong.”
Throughout the video, Perfanov continually questions Davis about why he is apprehending her.
She tells him numerous times in the video that she can’t breathe.
“You’re absolutely insane…and then you paint me to look insane,” she can be heard saying.
“I don’t need help, I need to get away from you. Please let me go.
“This isn’t normal, I don’t care what anyone says. I’m not going to any jail, I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Perfanov claims Davis threatened her and said: “I know you’re not crazy, I’ll paint you as crazy.”
Perfanov was arrested and transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuykill for observation on August 21, 2023.
She was released from Lehigh Valley a few days later, on Saturday, August 26, and questioned by police.
“Taken in context, the texts revealed her frustration with Trooper Davis and his controlling behavior (and her desire to break off the relationship), not a true desire to harm herself,” the abovementioned affidavit further explained.
Following her interrogation, Dauphin County observed that Perfanov did not seem mentally unstable.
