Ex-state trooper placed on probation

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

A former state trooper accused of tampering with evidence was sentenced Tuesday in Clearfield County Court.
Ryan Douglas Henschel, 33, 3129 Grey Hollow Road, Philipsburg, pleaded guilty in April, before the start of his trial, to obstruction of law or other government function.
He was sentenced to two years probation and fined $300 plus costs. His attorney noted that Henschel had resigned from the state police.
The charges stem from an incident March 20, 2010, on Deer Creek Road in Morris Township, after Henschel arrived at the scene of a vehicle accident involving another state trooper, Christopher Pifer, 34, of Philipsburg, who had allegedly been drinking.
Prior to another officer administering a field sobriety test, Henschel turned off the recorder in the trooper's vehicle.
During the preliminary hearing, it was noted that it is procedure to turn off the cameras if they are recording unnecessarily in order to save room on the recorder's hard drive. Although Henschel turned off his supervisor's MVR, he did not shut off the recorder in his own vehicle.
Testimony revealed that before administering a field sobriety test to Pifer, the supervisor backed up his vehicle and adjusted his camera's angle. He walked away for a few moments, during which Henschel shut off the MVR in the supervisor's vehicle. When he returned, Henschel did not tell him or try to turn the recorder back on while the field sobriety tests were done. It wasn't until the supervisor got into his vehicle that he realized the recorder was off.
Pifer, who was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances, was accepted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program in April. Pifer must complete six months probation, refrain from the use and possession of alcohol and complete counseling. He must pay $650 to defray the costs of the program, complete 20 hours of community service, and attend the DUI school.