A Williamsport woman accused of assaulting two emergency workers was acquitted on two counts of aggravated assault, but found guilty of harassment, following a recent bench trial before Lycoming County Judge Ryan Tira.

Deborah Ann Brown, 36, of Williamsport was charged after police said she assaulted a male EMT and a female paramedic after they were called to her workplace on Oct. 3, 2024, after Brown complained about having severe stomach pain.

Finding her in a hallway in the basement of her workplace, the EMT testified that Brown was shaking and flailing around, in obvious pain and in need of medical treatment.

Attempts to get vitals on Brown were unsuccessful due to her movements, and after approximately 20 minutes, the decision was made to move Brown to an ambulance for further evaluation when other employees of Brown’s workplace began crowding the hallway.

Once in the ambulance, the EMT attempted to hold a blood pressure cuff in place in order to gauge Brown’s blood pressure.

It was at that point that Brown began yelling derogatory remarks, pushed his arm off of her and struck the EMT in the center of his chest with a closed fist “with quite a bit of force,” he testified.

He did not have any residual pain

She then removed all the medical equipment she was attached to and moved towards the door of the ambulance, where she struck a paramedic in the lower jaw and jumped out of the ambulance, the EMT testified.

Called to testify, the paramedic stated that upon arrival, Brown had to be asked five times to either lay on the floor or sit in a chair to be evaluated.

Once moved into the ambulance to give her more privacy, Brown began yelling that she was not going to the hospital and that she did not want their help, the paramedic testified.

After punching the EMT, Brown moved towards the door of the ambulance, where she struck the paramedic in the right side of her stomach, she told the court.

Although she was unsure if Brown used a closed fist, the paramedic said that the impact caused her significant pain, aching and throbbing for hours after the encounter.

Both emergency personnel reported feeling offended by Brown’s conduct, as they had been called to help her, and she was not allowing them to do their job.

Arresting officer state trooper Ernest Capobainco testified that although she initially agreed to be taken to UPMC Williamsport by him for treatment, once there, she refused, making statements referencing prior issues she had experienced at the facility.

While transporting her from UPMC Williamsport to state police barracks in Montoursville, it was evident that Brown was in severe pain. She was rocking back and forth, eventually began vomiting in the cruiser and was transported to UPMC Muncy, where she did receive treatment.

Arguing for Brown’s innocence, Deputy Chief Public Defender Matthew Welickovitch called the situation “unfortunate,” but questioned if it rose to the level of criminal culpability.

Utilizing the victim’s respective testimonies, Welickovitch stressed that there was no substantial injury or lasting effects caused by Brown’s actions.

“The circumstances show only my client’s intention to remove herself from the ambulance,” Welickovitch told the judge, stressing that she had spent over half an hour strapped to a gurney and was now in the back of an ambulance containing a total of six people.

“She felt distressed and confined,” the defense attorney said, while also stressing that emergency crews were also innocent of any wrongdoing.

“Nothing they did was wrong. First responders serve in admirable professions,” Welickovitch said.

Assistant District Attorney Eric Birth, however, argued that the testimony of someone who had the intention to hurt the EMS workers, stressing that Brown had moved the EMT’s arm before striking him in the chest.

He cited case law to support his assertion that Brown’s deliberate blows and the pain felt by the paramedic throughout that day were sufficient to support the charges.

“No one wants a throbbing pain in their side for multiple hours,” Birth said.

Brown was ordered to pay a fine of $200 each, and write an apology letter to the victims for her conviction of the two counts of harassment.