Greensburg police officer pleads guilty in 2022 assault case, resigned from force
Jul. 21—Editor's note: Former Greensburg Kenneth Burke pleaded guilty Friday to an amended misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and summary harassment. The charges to which he pleaded guilty were incorrect in the original version of this story.
A suspended Greensburg police officer has been forced to resign after pleading guilty Friday to reduced charges in connection with the alleged assault of a woman last year.
Kenneth J. Burke, 36, of Jeannette was ordered to serve up to a year on probation after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and summary harassment .
According to court records, a woman claimed she was assaulted by Burke in July 2022. She claimed he yelled at her because he believed she gave his cellphone number to a person he didn't know, then put her in a chokehold and threw her to the floor.
Detectives said the woman suffered several injuries, including to her ear, neck and arm.
Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani previously dismissed a felony strangulation charge against Burke.
Burke pleaded guilty to the remaining charges ahead of a jury trial that was scheduled to begin next month.
"We were very pleased to put this case in front of a jury, but in light of recent dismissal of the most serious charge, my client decided he needed closure and put this behind him," said defense attorney Mike Ferguson.
In addition to the probation sentence, the judge ordered Burke to complete anger management treatment and undergo an evaluation for drug and alcohol addiction.
State Deputy Attorney General Evan Lowry II said that as a condition of the plea deal, Burke had to resign his job with the Greensburg Police Department and is barred from reapplying to regain his position. He did so June 9.
Burke worked 18 years in law enforcement, Ferguson said. Most recently, he served as one of two police dog handlers for the Greensburg force until he was put on administrative leave last summer after he was charged.
Burke's arrest set off a string of embarrassments for the city's police force that included federal charges filed earlier this year against Chief Shawn Denning, who was accused of participating in a multi-state drug distribution ring.
In May, Denning was charged by Westmoreland County detectives with theft of a backpack from the city's police department's evidence room.
City officials previously confirmed that another officer in the department was suspended for undisclosed reasons earlier this year and has since retired.
Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .
