A Lansdale man is facing felony assault charges and related offenses after he allegedly engaged multiple police officers in a fight on Thanksgiving in Lansdale Borough.
24-year-old Elijah Derns has been charged with one felony count of assault of a law enforcement officer, as well as misdemeanor counts of simple assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, and a summary charge of public drunkenness in connection with the Nov. 26 incident.
According to the criminal complaint, police were dispatched to the U.S. Gas Station at 291 North Broad Street at 1:26 p.m. for a report of a suspicious person. The 9-1-1 caller, identified as Derns’ mother, advised that her son was high on PCP, possibly armed with a knife and on his way to harm a male at the gas station.
Police located Derns along the 300 block of East Third Street and attempted to speak with him, but Derns ignored their efforts and exhibited signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance, police said. Police then attempted to stop Derns as he attempted to walk past their vehicles, but after advising that he was under arrest, Derns reportedly swore at the officers and began to push them, the report states.
A scuffle then ensued between Derns and two police officers, with Derns punching both officers in the face as they wrestled him to the ground in order to gain control, police said. Once on the ground, police gained control and held Derns until additional officers responded to the scene, according to the complaint.
Derns was then taking into custody, at which point a search of his person revealed a metal nail file with a sharp edge, police said. Both officers sustained minor injuries as a result of the assault, police said.
Later that day, Derns was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Albert Augustine, who set bail at $10,000 cash. He was then remanded to county jail after failing to post, and his next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Dec. 9 at noon in front of Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine.
(All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.)
See also:
Man Charged With Aggravated Assault Following Armed Standoff With North Wales Police
Montco Man Charged With 100 Counts Of Possession Of Child Pornography
Montco DA: Five Charged In Gun Trafficking Investigation
Hatfield Man Attempted To Shoot State Trooper Following Bank Robbery in Perkasie: Bucks DA
Montco Man Charged With Possessing And Distributing Child Pornography
