Pottstown man sentenced to prison after assaulting girlfriend, shooting officer

A man from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to several years in prison after attacking his girlfriend and shooting a responding police officer inside an apartment last year.

William Ciccoli Jr. was sentenced to 22.5 to 45 years in prison and was ordered to pay the cost of prosecution. Officials said Judge Thomas DelRicci had sentenced Ciccoli to the mandatory 20 to 40 years for the charge of assault of a law enforcement officer–firearm discharged, 2 to 4 years for disarming a law enforcement officer, and 6 months to 1 year for simple assault on a domestic violence victim.

Officials said the incident unfolded on November 15, 2024, around 2:40 p.m., when Pottstown Police Corporal Anthony Fischer and Pottstown Police Officer John Schmalbach responded to a reported domestic disturbance at an apartment on the 200 block of Chestnut Street.

When they arrived, they found Ciccoli and his girlfriend, who both lived in the apartment, involved in a domestic dispute, officials shared.

The two officers separated Ciccoli from his girlfriend and gave the woman domestic violence information, according to officials. Investigators said Ciccoli and his girlfriend then agreed to stay away from each other.

At that point, Officer Schmalbach intended to issue two citations to Ciccoli for harassment and criminal mischief.

Later that afternoon, at 4:35 p.m., Corporal Fischer and Officer Schmalbach once again responded to the same apartment for another domestic disturbance, officials said.

The two officers once again separated Ciccoli from his girlfriend, according to officials. The woman told police Ciccoli had grabbed her neck, making it difficult for her to breathe. Police said the woman had marks on her neck and swelling to her left cheekbone.

As Officer Schmalbach attempted to take Ciccoli into custody, Ciccoli allegedly charged at Corporal Fischer. Corporal Fischer can be heard on body camera video saying, “he’s trying to take my gun,” as he struggled with Ciccoli, investigators said.

A man is accused of shooting a police officer in Montgomery County when the officer was responding to calls for two domestic disturbances in one day. NBC10’s Karen Hua has the latest. 

The body cam then showed at least one of the officers using a taser on Ciccoli before a gunshot was heard. Corporal Fischer was then shot in the right hip area, officials said. The body cam footage showed Ciccoli with both hands on his gun before the shot was fired.

Cellphone video obtained by NBC10 showed emergency crews carrying Corporal Fischer downstairs after he was shot. He was taken to Reading Hospital, where he underwent surgery.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.