A Reading police officer has been charged following an investigation into the use of excessive force against a juvenile during a prisoner transport earlier this summer, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
Aaron J. Andre, 49, of Reading, has been charged with Simple Assault and Official Oppression, both misdemeanor offenses.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, the incident occurred on June 25, 2025, when Andre was assigned to operate the department’s prisoner transport van. Around 8:54 p.m., he was dispatched to the 500 block of McClellan Street for a domestic assault involving a combative 16-year-old male.
Authorities said the juvenile had allegedly assaulted his sibling earlier in the evening and fought with responding officers before being transported to Tower Health Reading Hospital for an evaluation.
At approximately 9:02 p.m., after arriving at the hospital, Andre entered the transport van to remove the teen, who displayed aggressive behavior. Investigators said Andre responded by punching and striking the handcuffed juvenile multiple times and forcibly pushing the teen’s head against the inside wall of the van. At the time of the incident, the 16-year-old was restrained with both handcuffs and a seat belt.
The Reading Police Department referred the case to the Berks County Detectives the following day. After completing their investigation, detectives filed charges against Andre on August 28, 2025.
Because both charges are misdemeanors, Andre has been issued a summons to appear at Magisterial District Court 23-2-02.
The District Attorney’s Office emphasized that, as in all criminal cases, the charges are merely accusations and Andre is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
