Clearfield Man Accused of Assaulting EMS Worker has Hearing

CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man accused of assaulting an emergency medical services worker had a hearing on Wednesday.

Joseph S. Wilson was charged with aggravated assault, two counts of recklessly endangering another person simple assault and harassment.

Clearfield Borough Police Officer Brian Dixon testified that on May 25 he and Officer Mike Titus were called to an East Cherry Street address. He said that when the arrived on-scene a man and woman left the apartment building.

He recognized Wilson and noted that Wilson looked visibly upset. Dixon said Wilson’s eyes were visibly dilated and that he was sweating profusely.

“It looked like someone dumped water over his head,” Dixon said under cross-examination.

The officer also testified that Wilson was talking as though someone were after him.

Dixon said Wilson told him that he believed he was diabetic but that he had never been diagnosed. Clearfield Emergency Medical Services was called and arrived shortly on-scene.

Once EMS arrived Wilson entered the ambulance of his own free will. Dixon said that within 30 to 40 seconds the door opened and the alleged victim in the case asked Dixon to enter the ambulance.

Dixon said that Wilson was definitely not in a right state-of-mind. He said that every movement caused Wilson to jump and that the man would not sit still. He said that Wilson was repeatedly asked to lie down but that he would not. Dixon said that the EMS worker did an excellent job of working with Wilson. Dixon said at one point one of the EMS workers contacted a doctor at the emergency room and was given permission to administer a sedative.

Dixon said that around this time Titus entered the ambulance and tried to get Wilson to calm down. Dixon said that they both placed their hands on Wilson’s shoulder to try to get him to lie down so he could be secured.

Dixon testified that Wilson grabbed the alleged victim’s wrist with both hands and pulled her down. He said she screamed and Wilson wrapped his legs around the EMS worker’s waist and squeezed. Dixon said she began yelling for help.

He said that he and Titus grabbed Wilson’s hands and broke the wrist hold.

“She was struggling, bad,” said Dixon. “I obviously needed to help her.”

He testified that he did the only thing he could, which was to strike Wilson’s thigh around a nerve cluster to get the man to release his grip on the EMS worker.

Dixon said that once Wilson released the woman they still had to strap him down. They eventually did that with the help of two Lawrence Township Police officers. Dixon said that once that was done Wilson was given another sedative.

Under cross-examination Dixon said that Wilson said he needed to go to the emergency room.

The alleged victim took the stand and testified that she and her partner were called out for what was believed to be a diabetic emergency. She said that when they arrived she walked up to the man with her hand out. She said she normally does that to see how the patient is going to react. She said that Wilson took her hand.

She later testified that Wilson did not let go of her hand until the officers made him do so.

The woman said Wilson was pale and sweaty and that her first thought was that this was a diabetic emergency. She said Wilson was asked to walk to the ambulance and he agreed.

She said that Wilson was questioned about his medical history, but that he refused to answer. She also said that Wilson denied being on any medication. She said that when they asked Wilson if he was diabetic, he did not reply.

“We couldn’t get a whole lot out of him” she said.

The EMS worker said that when she went to check his blood pressure and undid the Velcro strap, Wilson jumped.

“He was jittery,” the woman said.

She also said that when his blood sugar was tested, it fell withina  normal range.

She testified that she asked Dixon to come in to the ambulance at that time. She said that as the incident went on Wilson’s grip on her hand became tighter and tighter. She said that at one point she asked him to let go but that he did not reply.

“I started to get nervous,” she said. She testified that every time someone in the ambulance moved, Wilson’s grip got tighter.

“Now I’m getting nervous.”

She said that Wilson looked at her, in a way that he appeared to look through her.

“It was scary,” she said. “He looked like he was going to hurt me.”

The woman testified that she made a statement to Wilson about calming down and him not wanting anymore police in the ambulance. She said that when he said yes about more police being in the ambulance, she became scared.

She said that Titus entered the ambulance. Around this time she said that Wilson grabbed her left wrist with both hands and pulled her in toward him.

“I was screaming,” she said. “I thought it (her wrist) was breaking.”

She said that he also wrapped his legs around her torso.

“I couldn’t breathe.”

She testified that she was unsure how she was separated from Wilson, but once she was she went outside and doubled over. She said that she had a hard time breathing.

“It seemed like an eternity,” she said.

The EMS worker said that due to the incident she suffered a sprained wrist and a contusion to her chest wall.

Under cross-examination the EMS worker testified that she never saw a sedative administered to Wilson in her presence. She also testified that he never attempted to leave the ambulance.

Tpr. David Patrick of the Pennsylvania state police testified that he filed the charges on information received. He said that he did interview the alleged victim’s partner, who related to the trooper that he was the one who administered the sedatives.

Wilson’s attorney, Steve Jarrett, asked for the charges to be dismissed. Warren Mikesell, assistant district attorney, argued that the EMS worker is a victim of a protected class.

Magisterial District Judge Richard Ireland held all charges to court and added a count of cause or attempt to cause bodily injury. Ireland set Wilson’s bail at $25,000 unsecured.