Arrests.
A homeless man from Lansdale is accused of spitting in three Hatfield Police officers’ faces after he was apprehended in an alleged stolen bicycle chase that began at Hatfield Motel on Bethlehem Pike.
Marquise Dontrell Carter, 33, formerly of Norristown, faces three felony counts of assault of a police officer and a summary charge of criminal mischief by damaging property, as he is also accused of stealing a mountain bike and then intentionally crashing it head-on into a car on Cowpath Road on the evening of April 13, according to the affidavit.
According to police, officers got a call at 9:32 p.m. from someone at the Hatfield Motel at 792 Bethlehem Pike for a report of a man wearing a red shirt and camouflage jacket who stole a black and red Nishiki mountain bike. Police said they identified the man as Carter from prior contacts, in addition to motel staff allegedly recognizing Carter from prior instances.
While responding to the scene, police allegedly saw Carter riding the bike westbound on Line Lexington Road. Officers turned around and began following Carter, calling for backup, per the report.
When other officers arrived, according to the complaint, police attempted to stop Carter at Cowpath Road and Roosevelt Boulevard, but he allegedly refused to stop and kept weaving in and out of traffic on Cowpath Road.
Eventually, Carter intentionally rode the bike into oncoming northbound traffic, hitting and damaging the hood of a car, police said. Carter laid on the hood until officers helped him to his feet and handcuffed him, the report states. Then, he allegedly spit in one officer’s face while being escorted to the police car, police said, and did it a second and third time when police were searching him.
Carter was taken to Lansdale Hospital for a medical evaluation and was later held on a psychiatric hold, police said.
Carter is in custody at the county jail in lieu of $5,077 cash bail, indicating a probation or parole detainer was filed. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 29 at 10:30 a.m. before District Judge Edward Levine.
On the same as the alleged Hatfield Township incident, Carter was charged by Lansdale Borough Police with misdemeanor simple assault and harassment, according to court records.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
