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Jury Finds Coatesville Dad Guilty Of Using Son As Shield Against Police, DA Says

A jury found a Coatesville father guilty of using his son as a shield against police in a domestic violence incident, authorities said.

Kenneth Cole

Kenneth Cole

Photo Credit: Chester County DA's Office

Kenneth Cole, 43, was found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office.

As officers arrived at a home on Rosemont Avenue on May 23, 2019, they spotted Cole going into the house. Officers followed him into the home to find him standing at the top of the stairs with his 11-year-old son nearby, the DA's office said.

After refusing to comply with numerous orders from police, authorities say Cole pulled the boy in front of him as a shield from the taser and firearm that police had pointed at him.

When Cole was finally handcuffed, he resisted efforts by law enforcement and EMS to load him into a vehicle, authorities said.

“This is an unimaginable act of cowardice and danger for the defendant to use his own son as a shield to protect himself from police," DA Deb Ryan said.

"We are grateful that the defendant’s son was not hurt. We also thank the jury for their just verdict and the time they spent deliberating on this case.”

He will be sentenced at a later date.

Judge Jacqueline Cody presided over the trial. Coatesville City Police investigated. Assistant District Attorneys Kathleen Wright and Christian Hernandez were the assigned prosecutors.

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