A former Allentown police officer received a time-served jail sentence for threatening to kill his wife two years ago in their Easton home.
Ismael Andre Segarra Jr., 39, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor of making terroristic threats, according to Northampton County First Assistant District Attorney Robert Eyer. Segarra was sentenced to seven months to two years, minus two days, in prison.
Segarra already spent more than seven months in county prison ahead of his plea, so he was immediately paroled. In addition to his prison sentence he was also sentenced to three years of probation, Eyer said.
Other charges against Segarra, including aggravated assault and attempted homicide, were dismissed.
His attorney, James Burke, said the case was resolved to Segarra’s satisfaction. He said Segarra is a dedicated police officer, Marine and father, who wants to put the incident behind him and move on with his life. Burke said no one is the sum of one incident or act.
Segarra was off duty when he and his wife were arguing June 27, 2023, in their home in the 1200 block of Chidsey Street, authorities said.
Easton police said he became enraged when his wife texted friends asking how the divorce process works.
Segarra retrieved a shotgun, and after hearing one of their children scream, told his wife to quiet them “because someone’s head is about to get blown off,” according to court documents.
He cocked the shotgun, pulled the trigger, and said “it jammed,” police said. He placed the gun on the bed and tried to fix it, according to authorities. His wife and three children fled the home.
Easton police later stopped Segarra in a vehicle on Seventh Street. Investigators searched the home and found the shotgun in the bathroom of the main bedroom.
Eyer said the plea fit the facts, and was approved by the victim. Segarra must also forfeit any weapons or ammunition seized at the time of his arrest, and he is not allowed to possess firearms, he said.
He was also ordered to not have contact with the victim.
Charges were filed shortly after the incident, and Segarra was in Northampton County Jail until January 2024, when his bail was modified to be unsecured. Segarra, who was sworn in as an Allentown officer in 2012, was suspended after his arrest. He later resigned.
