Jul 20, 2013 2 min read

A West Virginia man is in Washington County jail after allegedly punching an emergency medical technician who stopped to assist him.

South Strabane Township police started to receive reports just after midnight Friday of a man, later identified as Joel Thomas Beach, 25, of Parkersburg, walking in the middle of the road and into traffic in the 2000 block of North Main Street. While police were en route after receiving the call at 12:07 a.m., the 911 dispatcher told them that the man was now beating on the hood of a vehicle whose driver had stopped to help him.

An Ambulance and Chair Service crew, on their way to another call, also encountered Beach. When EMT Dustin Barton approached Beach, the West Virginia man uttered obscenities about “officers.” Beach then punched Barton on the side of the face, causing bleeding and bruising.

Beach then took off running, behind house in the direction of Oak Grove Road. He was found on the road by Officer Eric Holt, impeding traffic and yelling obscenities at a vehicle on the road. Officer John Tegley took Barton to Beach’s location and the EMT was able to identify him as his assailant.

While at the station, police said Beach urinated in the holding cell and kicked the walls.

Beach was arraigned before District Judge Gary Havelka on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, pedestrian walking along the highway and pedestrian under the influence of alcohol. He was placed in Washington County jail on $20,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for July 30 before District Judge Jay Weller.