Whitpain Township Police Department. Photo by James Short.
Two officers were spit upon as they attempted to arrest an intoxicated man, reports stated
A simple call for a laceration at Normandy Farm Hotel led to felony charges for one man, who police said spit, swore, and physically struggled against an arrest over Saturday night.
According to reports, the Whitpain Township Police Department received a call for medical assistance for a man who’d “accidentally cut himself with a bottle” at Normandy Farm in Blue Bell just after midnight, early Sunday morning. The Second Alarmers Rescue Squad Medic 385 was asked to respond with police to help at the scene.
Once they’d arrived around 12:30 a.m., police said first responders found Nicholas David Cramer, 30, of the 1100 block of Thomas Road in Warrington, Bucks County, to have a laceration to his right hand and wrist area. EMTs briefly examined Cramer, noticing he was intoxicated due to the odor emanating from his person, reports stated. Medics then told Cramer it would be best if he was seen at a hospital, and he became agitated, police said.
Cramer refused hospital care, and then attempted to stand from a seated position on a bench, charging toward an EMT “in an aggressive and threatening manner,” said reports. The medical technician attempted to assist Cramer back down to the bench to calm himself, police said, but he became angry, cursing and yelling at the medical assistance crew.
According to police, Cramer then shoved the medic in his face and chest, and “a brief scuffle ensued.” Reports stated that Cramer said, “I’ll knock you the [expletive deleted] out,” and other curse words at the medic as he was separated from him by other parties standing by outside. That is when, police said, he became “belligerent toward police.”
As Cramer was held back by family members, reports stated, a Whitpain officer was standing nearby. Cramer spit directly toward him, hitting him with spit in the face and chest, police said. Police proceeded to then attempt to detain Cramer, as he “actively and forcefully” resisted being handcuffed, said reports.
According to the reports, Cramer continued to swing and push his arms around to actively resist arrest. Once brought to the ground, Cramer continued resisting by kicking in the direction of the officers and spitting in the air at them, police said. Another officer of the Whitpain Police Department was struck with spit from Cramer on his left arm, said reports.
Police said that, as Cramer was being escorted to a patrol car, he yelled “You [expletive deleted] [expletive deleted], I’m going to [expletive deleted] kill you, I swear to [expletive deleted] God.”
Cramer is charged with two felony counts of assault of a law enforcement officer, a felony count of aggravated assault, attempts to cause bodily injury to a designated individual, three misdemeanor counts of simple assault, as well as lesser charges including harassment, terroristic threats, public drunkenness, and resisting arrest.
Cramer was released Sunday afternoon with a bond signature following his preliminary arraignment. He is due to face a preliminary hearing on Sept. 19 at 11:15 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard.
