Sep 6, 2018 3 min read

CARMICHAELS – A Bethlehem-Center school nurse was ordered to stand trial on charges she pepper sprayed two Cumberland Township police officers who were trying to locate her following a domestic dispute last month.

Debra A. Venick, 47, lowered her head and sobbed after District Judge Lee Watson held her for court on two felony counts of aggravated assault and other charges after the two police officers involved in the incident testified during her preliminary hearing Wednesday afternoon.

Cumberland police Officer Melissa Adamson testified she was called to Venick’s home at 377 Air Shaft Road near Crucible shortly after 9 p.m. Aug. 24 for a domestic dispute between Venick and her boyfriend, Michael McGrady, and her daughter, Nicole. Adamson testified Venick shoved McGrady and was banging on Nicole’s locked bedroom door, trying to get in.

When police arrived, Debra Venick had left, apparently walking away from the home. Nicole later called police again to report her dog was missing.

Adamson said she and Officer Eric Orr were searching the area when a motorist told them she saw a woman matching Venick’s description and carrying a dog. The two officers later found Venick walking on Air Shaft Road near Crucible Road.

Both Adamson and Orr testified they identified themselves as police officers and walked over to her, but she attempted to evade them and said she was out walking the dog to cool off.

“I’m going home,” Adamson recounted Venick saying. “Just leave me alone. Nothing was going on.”

When they were about 10 feet away, Adamson and Orr said they saw Venick fumble for something in her purse before a mist started floating toward them.

“I could see this cloud of pepper spray coming toward me,” Orr said. “It was the strangest thing.”

Both officers then used their Tasers on Venick, who fell to the ground. Adamson said Venick kicked her while the officers tried to place her in handcuffs. Venick, who was wearing green nursing scrubs, shook her head as Adamson testified.

Both said Venick told them afterward she did not know they were officers, despite them identifying themselves. Adamson had pepper spray on her uniform, she said, but neither officer was affected by the chemical. Venick was treated by medics for pepper spray on her face and three Taser probes that penetrated her arm and hand.

“We weren’t taking this fight to her. She engaged in this behavior on her own,” Orr said. “Bottom line is we didn’t put her out on that road. We didn’t want this incident to happen the way it did.”

In addition to the two felony aggravated assault counts, Venick was charged with two counts of simple assault along with disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and harassment. She is free on a $3,000 percentage bond while awaiting her formal arraignment on the charges.

Venick is listed as a high school nurse on Bethlehem-Center School District’s website. Superintendent Chris Sefcheck confirmed Wednesday she is still employed by the district, but declined further comment.

Her defense attorney, Chris Blackwell, said Venick did not know the people speaking to her were police officers when she used the pepper spray.

“That area is very dark, they’re dressed in all black and in a black police car,” Blackwell said after the hearing, adding he hoped to arrange a plea deal to remove the most serious charges.

Staff writer Katie Anderson contributed to this story.