Authorities in Clearfield County confirmed that charges have been refiled against the off-duty officer who was arrested earlier this year following a shooting at a DuBois-area business.
Online court records show that a new batch of charges were filed earlier this week against Zachery Dodson, who is accused of shooting and wounding another man during an altercation with the owner of Invictus.
This refiling comes after some of the charges against Zachary Dodson were dismissed in March.
As Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan Sayers explained, there is a rule in Pennsylvania criminal procedure that permits the Commonwealth to refile charges after a magistrate has dismissed them. The reason for doing this, Sayers said, is “because we believe that the, you know, magistrate was in error or made some decision that we did not legally agree with.”
Dodson was employed by the Curwensville Police Department, as well as the Clearfield County Sheriff’s office, prior to the incident in February.
In March, officials say some of the more serious charges against Dodson were dismissed by a Centre County judge, without explanation, following a special hearing.
Sayers confirmed that Dodson is once again facing charges of felony aggravated assault and making terroristic threats, as well as two counts of simple assault.
As for why charges have been refiled in this case, Sayers said, “After the preliminary hearing, we believe the testimony was sufficient to move forward with the charges. So, we have refiled and asked for another issuing authority, another magistrate to hear the matter.”
The DA also told us he believes the facts were sufficient enough to bound over the charges and to give them “a second look.”
After a preliminary hearing for Dodson in March, another now one looms on the horizon.
“Obviously, if the president judge grants that, then there’ll need to be another magistrate brought in to hear it,”
While the preliminary hearing has been scheduled, a date has yet to be set
