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Woman filed 2 protection orders against husband accused of killing 1 officer, injuring another

CANONSBURG, Pa. — A man accused of killing his wife, fatally shooting a Canonsburg police officer and injuring a second officer early Thursday morning before taking his own life had two protection from abuse orders taken out against him, Channel 11 News has learned.

The officers were ambushed shortly after 3 a.m. as they responded to a domestic situation on Woodcrest Drive, state police said.

Washington County Coroner Tim Warco said one of the officers died at Canonsburg Hospital. He was identified as 52-year-old Scott Bashioum, of Canonsburg.

The other officer, James Saieva, was flown to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. State police said he underwent surgery and is in stable condition.

Investigators confirmed that the suspect, Michael Cwiklinski, and his wife, Dalia Elhefny Sabae, were found dead about 9 a.m. inside the home. Warco said Cwiklinski died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Warco said that Sabae was three months pregnant.

Sabae, 28, died of a gunshot wound inflicted by her husband, the coroner said.

Channel 11 News uncovered a rocky past between Cwiklinski and his wife, with Sabae filing two protection from abuse orders against her husband in the last year.

Court documents show that Cwiklinski faced harassment and simple assault charges last November. Two days before his arrest, Sabae said he hit her in the head with a bag of cans.

She filed a protective order, telling police, "My eye had broken vessels on the inside, and there was bruising on my face,” according to the PFA. When asked about previous problems, she told police, "He will have sex with me even if I say no…he used sex as a way to threaten me about my green card,” the PFA stated.

The order was dismissed last December after she failed to show up for court.

Channel 11 News also uncovered a harassment citation from this June for Cwiklinski after fight with his wife.

Sabae filed the second emergency protection order against Cwiklinski last month. According to the PFA, she said her husband was drunk, took her stuff and then called police when she broke down a door to get it back.

"As he was leaving, he was saying that I and our baby that I am pregnant with have to die,” she told police, according to the PFA. "He has grabbed me by my neck in an attempt to kill me.”

Sen. Camera Bartolotta has been looking over the state's laws since this summer after another Washington County woman who had filed a protective order against her husband was killed.

“I've been working on legislation also that helps to protect domestic abuse victims. We need to do better,” Bartolotta said.

Data from the county shows that fewer people have been applying for protective orders since 2010.

RESOURCES:

Meanwhile, those who knew Sabae mourned the loss of their colleague and friend. Sabae, who was from Egypt, worked at Jeffreys Drug Store in Canonsburg.

The business was closed Thursday and posted the following message on

its Facebook page

:

"Words cannot express how deeply saddened we are today in learning about the tragic loss of our cherished employee, co-worker and friend.
 
“We would also like to extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of the Canonsburg Police officer who lost his life this morning, and offer our support to the other officer and his family who is recovering from his injuries.
 
“We also would like to extend our heartfelt sympathies to her family, her friends and the many customers who came to know her over the time she worked with us.”

Cox Media Group

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