<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0OTVZB_0wPlijWa00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0OTVZB_0wPlijWa00" width="1595" height="1046" ><figcaption>MediaNews Group File Photo</figcaption></figure>NORRISTOWN — A former Philadelphia firefighter is headed to prison on charges he strangled and assaulted a woman and threatened to kill her during a domestic-related incident in Lansdale while he was intoxicated after attending a wedding with the woman in Ambler.Christopher Lawrence Thompson, 41, of the 6800 block of Walker Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 15 months to 4 years in a state correctional institution after he pleaded no contest to a felony charge of strangulation in connection with the Oct. 22, 2023, domestic-related assault that occurred on East Main Street in Lansdale.A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is an admission that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to prove the charge at a trial.Judge Thomas C. Branca also ordered Thompson to comply with all recommendations for treatment, including domestic violence and anger management counseling.“This defendant used his hands to grab the victim by her neck and strangle her, to the point where she was unable to breathe. The defendant’s actions, coupled with his own words, make clear that he had the intent to cause the victim serious harm that night,” Assistant District Attorney Karla J. Pisarcik wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Moreover, the defendant was still actively assaulting the victim when police arrived on scene. Thankfully, the quick arrival of the police prevented the victim from sustaining worse injuries.”Court papers indicate Thompson had a 2022 conviction in Massachusetts for a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery involving the same woman during an incident in Boston.Pisarcik, who sought a prison sentence of 3 to 6 years for Thompson for the Lansdale incident, argued his previous legal troubles in Massachusetts did not deter him from continuing to physically assault the victim. Pisarcik argued a state prison term was warranted told hold Thompson accountable, to deter his abusive behavior and to protect the victim and the public from his violent behavior.“This is a defendant who thinks he is above the law,” Pisarcik said after the sentencing hearing.Thompson immediately informed police who responded to the Lansdale incident that he was a Philadelphia firefighter, according to court documents.Pisarcik also asked the judge to consider Thompson’s role in society as a firefighter when considering the risk he poses to the community.“Unlike many other defendants that come before the court, this defendant holds a position of power in the community that is viewed with high honor and respect, a position where he is supposed to protect the lives and property of others,” Pisarcik wrote in the sentencing memorandum. “Instead, defendant attempts to use his position in the community as an ‘out’ for his criminal behavior.”The investigation began about 2:28 a.m. Oct. 22, 2023, when Lansdale police responded to the 500 block of East Main Street when a 911 caller reported a physical disturbance between a man and a woman, according to the criminal complaint filed by Lansdale Police Officer John Ruel.Arriving officers observed Thompson on the ground on top of a female and officers detained Thompson at the scene. Thompson exhibited signs of intoxication, including glassy eyes and slurred speech, police said.Thompson told police that he and the woman had attended a wedding and had an argument.“Mr. Thompson advised he had a lot to drink and did not remember the entire evening,” Ruel wrote in the arrest affidavit.The victim told police she and Thompson had been at a wedding in Ambler and were traveling in a ride-share vehicle heading to their hotel when Thompson became physical, according to court documents.The Uber driver stopped in the 500 block of East Main Street and ended the ride early due to the physical altercation. The victim reported that the altercation continued on the front lawn of an East Main Street property after the Uber driver left and that Thompson chased her and tackled her while stating, “I’m going to (expletive) kill you,” according to the arrest affidavit.The victim told police that Thompson struck her with an open hand across her face several times and placed his hands around her neck and squeezed, “restricting her airway causing her to fear for her life,” Ruel alleged.The woman banged on the front door of a nearby residence to seek help, police said.The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries that included a swollen lip, scratches on her neck, a welt on her shoulder and an abrasion to her knee, court documents indicate.Police noted that they observed bloodstains on the lapel of Thompson’s suit jacket.Other charges of simple assault, harassment, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness were dismissed against Thompson.Defense lawyer Sean E. Cullen represented Thompson during the court proceedings.</div></body>

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Former Philadelphia firefighter sent to prison for domestic assault in Lansdale

NORRISTOWN — A former Philadelphia firefighter is headed to prison on charges he strangled and assaulted a woman and threatened to kill her during a domestic-related incident in Lansdale while he was intoxicated after attending a wedding with the woman in Ambler. Christopher Lawrence Thompson, 41, of the 6800...