A Philadelphia man was held over for common pleas court on aggravated assault and related offenses Wednesday for an altercation with a SEPTA police officer in August.
Harish White, 32, was also held on charges of resisting arrest, evading arrest, disorderly conduct and defiant trespass following a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Elysia Mancini Duerr.
The judge heard from SEPTA Officers Richard Donaldson and Nicholas Epps, both of whom were on duty at 69th Street terminal in Upper Darby on the morning of Aug. 22.
Donaldson told Assistant District Attorney Domenique Aguirre that he was working that day with his K-9 partner when he saw a group of people fail to get on a bus as it arrived at the terminal. He told them to disperse, but one man spat at him and needed to be physically removed from the property.
Donaldson said he was escorting that man when he felt him tense up then deliver a series of blows with a closed fist to the left side of Donaldson’s face in his eye and cheek area. Donaldson said he pulled his Taser but did not use it on the man and called for backup.
Epps said he had just passed Donaldson as he made his way to his cruiser and was pulling out a log book when Donaldson came over the radio requesting help.
Epps said he returned to the area where he had seen Donaldson last and found him pointing a Taser at another man. Both were yelling at each other, Epps said.
The man took off running down 69th Street toward Ludlow and a chase ensued. Epps said at one point the man had gotten several car lengths ahead of him when he cut right at a corner.
Epps did not see the man when he turned the corner but said he had not been that far ahead to have gotten to another block, so he started checking the area and found the man underneath a car.
Epps told defense counsel Pauline Mintra Rouse that he had no idea why Donaldson had gotten into a confrontation with the man, so he drew his service weapon and told the man to get out. The man surrendered without incident and was taken into custody.
Donaldson was unable to identify White in court as the man he had a scuffle with, but Epps did identify him as the man he arrested that day. Both had noted the bright red hat the suspect was wearing throughout the encounter and chase.
Donaldson said he suffered bruises on his cheek, a burst blood vessel in his eye and had been put on light duty due to a knee injury from the chase. He said he is awaiting scans of that injury and is undergoing physical therapy.
Rouse reserved argument and Mancini Duerr held White on all charges. He is scheduled for formal arraignment Oct. 29 at the County Courthouse in Media.