Bethlehem police charge man for alleged attack on nurse, security officer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. Feb 23 2021 A Northampton man is facing assault charges after allegedly attacking a nurse and security officer at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg earlier this month.
Bethlehem police were dispatched to the hospital at 2545 Schoenersville Road about 4 p.m. Feb. 11 to investigate an assault report. A security officer told police that Derrick Russell Jr., who allegedly threatened to attack hospital staff, allegedly punched him, according to the criminal complaint.
Russell reportedly said he was a martial artist and told hospital staff that he was going to “take us all,” according to court records. That’s when he allegedly punched the security officer in the face. During the initial interview with police, the security officer reported that he may have had a dislocated or broken jaw.
A nurse told police that Russell allegedly attacked him too, allegedly hitting him in the face and scratching his arm.
Russell, of Washington Avenue, faces two felony counts of aggravated assault, two misdemeanor counts of simple assault and two summary counts of harassment. District Judge Ronald Manescu arraigned the 24-year-old the next day, setting bail at $15,000.
He failed to post bail and was sent to Lehigh County Jail to await a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 25.
