DUBOIS – A Saxton man will stand trial on felony assault charges for allegedly attacking employees of Penn Highlands DuBois East.
Sean Timothy Kolodziej, 39, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, as well as four misdemeanor counts of simple assault, misdemeanor strangulation, resisting arrest and summaries in relation to an incident on May 26 at the hospital.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, when police arrived, a patient, Kolodziej, was being restrained on the ground but was still fighting with multiple staff members.
An officer immediately assisted them and held down both of the defendant’s wrists. Kolodziej continued to resist and stated he wanted “out of this place,” adding he would rather be in jail. He also said he would take the officer’s gun if he needed to, to get him into jail, police said.
This officer took a position where he could hold Kolodziej’s arm behind his back and told him to stop fighting. Another officer arrived on the scene and assisted with handcuffing Kolodziej.
After he was secured, a staff member reported that the incident began after she went into his room to give him mediation. Kolodziej grabbed her around the throat and applied pressure, strangling her, she told the officers.
She was able to push him away and yelled for help. Kolodziej then followed her as she ran down the hall toward the nurse’s station where he tried to gain entry.
Next, he reportedly turned his attention to another employee whom he punched in the chest.
This second victim tried to escape into the nurse’s station, but he punched her again in the back, according to the report.
Next, he focused on the other patients in the hall.
Two of them tried to get away from Kolodziej, but he grabbed one of them by the neck and punched him approximately five to ten times, this victim told police.
A security officer reportedly swung at and struck Kolodziej multiple times before he was able to tackle him, taking him to the ground. Others helped restrain him, and this is the point at which the first officer arrived.
He was discharged from the hospital and taken into custody.
Kolodziej waived his right to a preliminary hearing Friday during centralized court in DuBois. He is being held in the county jail in lieu of $200,000 bail.
