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Pa. man charged with assaulting paramedic

Group allegedly pushed into party, attacked men

Centre Daily Times (Pennsylvania)
Copyright 2007 Centre Daily Times
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News

A State College man was remanded Centre county jail in lieu of $7,500 straight bail after police charged him with aggravated assault on a paramedic.

According to an affidavit filed by police, they responded to a complaint on Monday of a man approaching a woman, asking for sex and drugs in the 100 block of West College. Officer Charles Hamilton said he arrived and saw a man walking west, with a staggered gate, hanging onto a building to steady himself, with a strong odor of alcohol and slurred speech.

The man, identified as James R. Labenberg, 44, of State College, He was taken to the police department, where a test indicated his blood alcohol content was .25, according to Hamilton’s affidavit. An ambulance was called to assess his condition and Labenberg decided to go to the hospital for treatment, police said.

However, police said Labenberg became combative and at one point, tried to jump out the back of an ambulance in an attempt to harm himself. Paramedic Eliza Stong tried to stop him and an altercation ensued in which Labenberg shoved, grabbed and punched Stong, police said.

Labenberg is also charged with simple assault, harassment and public drunkenness.