Man Charged with Aggravated Assault Pleads Guilty to Lesser Charges

CLEARFIELD – A Florida man charged with four counts of aggravated assault for threatening two juveniles with a large knife, pleaded guilty to lesser charges Tuesday.

Dennis Lee Stiner, 67, whose address was listed as Lothian, Md., when the charges were filed, was originally charged with 15 different counts of various offenses, including aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and harassment by Lawrence Township police.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Sept. 6, 2021, police were called to an active fight involving a “machete” at a Montgomery Run Road location. Reports were that a man had a large knife that he was holding on two brothers.

When police arrived, the older male involved, later determined to be Stiner, was “actively trying to fight” with a juvenile. Both of them had their fists up in the “fighting position.”

After they were told to get off the road, the juvenile complied, but Stiner did not and had to be forced off the road. He was detained and placed in handcuffs.

A female juvenile told police she had the entire incident on video, which an officer was able to watch.

In the video, he saw Stiner and the boy throwing punches at each other as the other juveniles were yelling.

The fight deescalates with Stiner going back into a trailer and the juveniles also returning to a home.

Then, one of the juveniles yells “put the knife down” and the camera pans back to Stiner, who has a large sheathed knife in his hands.

He removes the knife before approaching the juveniles again, saying he was going to “cut their [expletive] heads off.”

Eventually he drops the knife and begins to have a fist fight with one of the juveniles in the middle of the road where he was taken into custody.

The knife was found on the deck of the trailer.

Because Stiner was intoxicated, he was placed in a holding cell at the Lawrence Township police station.

On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of simple assault for which Judge Paul Cherry sentenced him to 10 days to one year in jail with two years probation.

Stiner was ordered to complete anger management counseling and to not have any contact with the victims.