Police: Man Arrested After Physical Altercations with Female Friend

A local man was arrested last weekend after the second of what Haverford Township Police say were two incidents in which he had a physical altercation with a female friend.

Michael Burke, 35, faces charges of simple assault, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, harassment, and obstructing emergency services stemming from the alleged incidents.

According to court documents, on October 23 a Haverford Township Police officer was dispatched to the 100 block of South Eagle Road for a report of a domestic situation. When he arrived on the scene, the officer found Burke and his victim both intoxicated. The woman had fresh bruising on her left eye and told police she fell down the stairs when drunk.

The officer wrote in the subsequent affidavit that he didn’t believe her story, but the woman maintained that she ran down the stairs and refused medical treatment.

Four days later, on October 27, the officer was called to the same address again, this time for a medical emergency, and found Burke and the woman intoxicated. The woman was complaining of severe neck pain and told police that she and Burke fell off the deck together. Burke denied this story, as did a witness. The witness further told police that the victim did not fall down the stairs on October 23, and that she witnessed her and Burke fighting that night. The officer noted fresh scratch marks on Burke’s cheek.

Burke and the woman both refused to cooperate with police, and with medical personnel. Police say Burke actively began interfering with medical personnel while they attempted to treat the victim. He was then handcuffed and charged.

Burke faces preliminary hearing on November 15.