By Frank Andruscavage
Republican & Herald, Pottsville, Pa.
GILBERTON, Pa. — Borough police Chief Mark Kessler offers some profanity-laced comments to viewers in a July 15 Internet posting.
The 2-minute, 45-second posting on the Internet site YouTube starts as an apology but quickly turns to profane language and the use of automatic weapons. The video was apparently recorded on a remote stripping road.
“Well, I guess I upset a few people the other day when I made a video. I used some profanity and some people didn’t like that,” Kessler says in the video, wearing a black T-shirt and black baseball hat.
In the first 35 seconds the chief continues, saying, “Well, I’m here to say I’m sorry, OK. I didn’t mean to upset anybody or insult anybody or hurt anyone’s feelings. So please accept this as my sincere apology.”
After walking out of the camera’s view and then back into view, Kessler said, “Yeah, I don’t think so. This boy don’t roll that way ... for all you people out there who cried and cried about, ‘Oh, I used profanity,’ f--- you.”
Kessler then fires a barrage from an automatic weapon, saying, “Did ya get that, did ya get that one?”
The video had 3,280 views on YouTube as of 10 p.m. Monday.
Gilberton Mayor Mary Lou Hannon said Monday night that she could not comment on the video because she hadn’t seen it yet.
She said she learned of the posting Sunday and plans to view it today along with the borough secretary and borough council members.
“I’ll go from there,” Hannon said.
She said that what Kessler does when he is off duty is not governed by Gilberton while he is not representing the borough. “What he does in his private life, we have no control of,” Hannon said.
When contacted Monday night, borough council President Dan Malloy also said he had not seen the posting and had no comment.
“I know nothing about this, thank you for calling,” Malloy said.
The video is not the first time Kessler has been in the news.
In August 2011, Kessler was allegedly shot in his hand with his own gun while he was off duty at a Girardville tavern.
Kessler, according to state police at Frackville, was inside the Second Street Pub when a scuffle broke out between several patrons. For reasons unknown to police, Kessler got involved and at some point, a pistol he was carrying discharged, shooting him in the hand.
Kessler was treated at the former Saint Catherine Medical Center Fountain Springs.
Police recently said that the incident remains under investigation.
In December 2012, Kessler shot a dog that was allegedly attacking him in the borough.
At the time, Hannon said, Kessler went to the home of Greg and Rita Grove on Main Street in Maizeville to handle a problem with a parked vehicle. When Kessler knocked on the door, Hannon said Greg Grove opened the door and the couple’s Labrador retriever ran out and attacked Kessler.
Fearing for his safety, Kessler shot the animal, Hannon said, adding that the dog was taken to a local animal hospital, where it had to be euthanized.
Hannon said a neighbor across the street witnessed the incident and everything appears to be “on the up and up.”
“He (Grove) knew he was wrong. He knew he should have had the dog under control,” Hannon said at the time.
Kessler was not hurt, Hannon said.
Kessler was not available for comment Monday. Hannon said the chief has been on vacation since last week and will not return to the area until next week.
Kessler is also a member of the North Schuylkill school board. School district officials were not available for comment Monday night.
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