ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. - Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has announced that a former Lawrence County police officer has been charged with assault, as well as other charges, following an incident at a Sheetz store this past summer.

According to a press release, former Ellwood City Police Department sergeant Robert Magnifico is charged with simple assault, official oppression, tampering with public records and unsworn falsification to authorities in connection with an incident that took place at the Sheetz on 5th Street in Ellwood City in June.

The release states that Magnifico was called to the store after a 19-year-old customer got into an argument with an employee after forgetting his phone in the store and the employee not giving it back to him.

The AG's Office added that the customer provided information about the phone, including the passcode, but still could not get it back and became "verbally frustrated."

Magnifico allegedly came from behind a counter, shoved the customer to the ground and verbally berated him. The AG's Office says this interaction was recorded on video by the customer's friend.

From there, Magnifico provided his name and badge number upon request, but allegedly did so while walking towards the customer and bumping into him in an "intimidating manner," followed by grabbing his friend's phone and throwing it onto a table.

The AG's Office alleges that Magnifico filed a police report about the incident that did not give an accurate version of events.

"The encounter, which was captured on video, shows a sworn officer engaged in abusive and intimidating behavior that is clearly out of bounds, and in fact, a series of criminal acts. Pennsylvanians should feel confident they can depend on law enforcement officers to protect them, and this one officer's actions threaten that sense of security," Sunday said.

According to the release, Magnifico retired from the Ellwood City Police Department in September.

Magnifico is due in court for a preliminary hearing November 18.

21 News reached out to the Ellwood City Police Department for comment, but was referred to the AG's Office, who sent the initial press release.