Tim Boyce, former Delaware County Emergency Services director, went on trial Monday, Sept. 28, in Media on assault and harassment charges involving two subordinates.
Boyce, 63, of Drexel Hill, oversaw the county's 911 dispatch and coordinated response across 65 fire companies, 42 police departments and 31 emergency medical providers before the county fired him in May 2024 for gross misconduct. Residents in Radnor, Haverford and other Delaware County municipalities depend on the department he once led.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office is prosecuting the case, which was referred by county prosecutors in May 2024 to avoid potential conflicts of interest. The trial is being heard by Delaware County Court Judge Stephanie Klein and is expected to last through Friday, Oct. 2.
The first accuser, Boyce's former executive assistant, testified Sept. 28 that Boyce tried to kiss her on the lips while grabbing her buttocks on Jan. 30, 2024, in his office. She had started the job weeks earlier after two decades as a hairstylist, 6abc reported.
"The director of all emergency services, all 911, just assaulted me and made me feel the worst I had ever felt in my life," the woman told jurors, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
She said she called Boyce on Feb. 4, 2024, to quit and followed up with a text criticizing his actions. Boyce reportedly responded that it was never his intention and apologized, according to Hoodline.
A second woman alleged inappropriate conduct spanning 2018 through January 2024. She testified that Boyce lifted her skirt without consent to see her tattoos, grabbed her buttocks on a separate occasion and showed her pictures of his genitals, KYW Newsradio reported.
Both women have also filed civil suits.
Defense attorney Andrew Edelberg told jurors no witnesses saw the alleged assaults and the two women waited months before going to police. He called the prosecution politically motivated, arguing that Boyce, a Republican and 40-year public servant who started as an Upper Darby firefighter, became a target after Democrats gained power in Delaware County. Edelberg also suggested former District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer saw the case as a way to boost his attorney general campaign. Stollsteimer lost that race and is now a county judge.
Deputy Attorney General Madelyn Abry countered that Boyce believed his position of authority meant no one would find out about his actions.
Delaware County Council voted unanimously on May 10, 2024, to fire Boyce after placing him on paid leave April 26, 2024. A magisterial district judge held all charges over for trial in September 2024. Gary Vinnacombe was formally appointed as the permanent director of emergency services in May 2026.
Boyce faces at least a decade in prison if convicted. The trial was ongoing as of Thursday, Oct. 1.
