Charges against the advance of inmates to the Court of County – Pottsville Republican Herald

Pottsville – The victim of an assault in Schuylkill County prison testified on Monday that another inmate had threatened him before attacking him.

“It happened very fast. I did not have the opportunity to defend himself, ”said the inmate while testifying Schuylkill County prison against Erick Thompson, who attended a preliminary hearing in the office of the Judge Judge James Reiley in Pottsville.

The Pottsville police accused Thompson, 33, of aggression aggravated by serious crime, an aggravated assault with a mortal weapon, minor crimes, terrorist threats, minor crime of simple assault and a summary charge of harassment in relation to the incident, which occurred on December 9, 2024.

All charges were held by the Court, and the case now proceeds to the Schuylkill County Common Court.

The assistant district prosecutor Andrew Bench said that an additional position could be presented.

“Currently, the district prosecutor’s office intends to present attempts at homicide charges if he proceeds to trial instead of declaring himself,” said Bench.

A state conference, where both parties provide an update on the case, will probably not happen for months, he said.

The police were sent to the prison at 7:55 pm for a report of a shaving attack, which was captured in video.

Thompson attacked the other inmate with closed fists and dropped a razor after the assault, according to prison staff members.

The inmate testified that Thompson said earlier on the day he stabbed and kill him. He suffered neck and back wounds, which were treated in prison.

“I wanted to kill me,” said the inmate.

The incident video was presented at the hearing and shows the attack officers and corrections that responded.

Public defender Jeffrey Markosky, Thompson’s lawyer, said previously at the hearing that he wanted to watch the video.

“I think we see the video that will contribute to a large extent,” he said.

He asked the inmate what could have been the reason for the attack. The inmate said he had been telling other inmates what were the charges of Thompson days before.

Markosky requested an aggravated assault position to be dismissed, what Reiley denied.

“The wounds were not deep enough,” Markosky said. “There were no stitches.”

“That video is condemnatory, frankly,” said Bench.

A police officer also testified the wounds suffered by the inmate during the attack.