Pennsylvania State Police. Photo by James Short.
Victim suffered hand injury, allegedly afflicted by Edward M. Rausch, of Philadelphia and Norristown
A Philadelphia man is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after police said he pulled a sword during a road rage confrontation in Worcester Township earlier this month.
According to a criminal complaint filed by Pennsylvania State Police, troopers responded on Sept. 15 to the Sunoco gas station on West Germantown Pike after a caller reported that a man had cut another individual’s hand with a knife.
Investigators said the incident began moments earlier when a red Ford F-250 pickup rear-ended a Jeep Cherokee on Trooper Road near West Main Street.
The driver of the Jeep told police that after being struck, he asked the pickup’s driver to pull into a nearby lot to exchange information.
Instead, the truck driver allegedly drove off, prompting the driver of the Jeep to follow until both drivers stopped at the Sunoco. There, a verbal dispute escalated into a physical confrontation, police said.
The Jeep driver told troopers he climbed into the F-250 to prevent the other man from fleeing.
At that point, the defendant — identified as Edward M. Rausch, 29, of the 3200 block of West Oxford Street, Philadelphia, and the 500 block of South Schuylkill Avenue, Norristown —brandished a long chrome sword and began thrusting it toward him, police said.
The man said he pushed the blade aside with his hand, suffering a cut to his finger before retreating to his own vehicle, according to the complaint.
Video footage provided by witnesses corroborated parts of the altercation, according to the affidavit.
Rausch – who is awaiting a preliminary hearing on felony criminal attempted aggravated assault charges stemming from a June arrest in West Norriton Township – was stopped later that afternoon by Collegeville Police, who located his red Ford pickup bearing the reported license plate.
He was taken into custody and interviewed at PSP Skippack, where police said he admitted involvement in the crash and confrontation but claimed he acted in self-defense and that the knives in his truck were “novelty” items, police said.
Troopers said the weapon described as a ceremonial sword was seized from the vehicle.
Rausch is charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, misdemeanor counts of possessing an instrument of crime, terroristic threats, simple assault, and two Vehicle Code offenses for allegedly leaving the scene of a crash and failing to render aid, according to the criminal docket.
He was arraigned Sept. 15 before Magisterial District Judge Adam Katzman and sent to Montgomery County jail on $1,000 cash bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday before Katzman. Rausch is represented by a public defender.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
