Nurses injured in assault at Mahanoy Twp. treatment center

Mar. 25—MAHANOY CITY — A Maryland man was jailed Wednesday charged by Mahanoy Township police with assaulting a police officer and also assaulting and severely injuring two nurses at a rehabilitation center in the township.

Police Chief Brandon Alexander said the assault happened around 12:30 p.m. at Silver Pines Treatment Center at 5 White Owl Drive.

Alexander charged Matthew E. Calloway, 36, of 8495 Frederick Road, Ellicott City, with three felony counts of aggravated assault, three misdemeanor counts of simple assault and three summary counts of harassment.

He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $100,000 straight cash bail.

Alexander said he was called to the treatment for a report of a disturbance and told by staff that one of their patients, Calloway, attacked two staff members and that the altercation was still going on with other staff members.

The chief said he entered the room and saw two staff members struggling to keep Calloway on the ground. He was subsequently placed in handcuffs and taken to a police cruiser for safety reasons.

Alexander said he then spoke with nurse Amanda Gray, who reported her and nurse Karen Krause entered Calloway's room to take vital signs when the assault began.

Gray reported Calloway began punching her repeatedly in the face until she blacked out for a brief period, then woke up and ran into a bathroom and locked the door, Alexander said.

Krause was interviewed and said she tried to stop the attack on Gray but Calloway turned on her and began punching her repeatedly in the face until he was pulled away by other staff members, the chief reported.

Alexander said Mahanoy City police Patrolman Matthew Williams was assisting and watching Calloway inside the police cruiser.

At one point, Alexander said, Calloway asked Williams to adjust his handcuffs and Williams bent over and the man headbutted him in the chest.

Alexander said both nurses involved in the attack were rushed to a local hospital by ambulance for treatment of major head injuries.

The chief said he did not know the condition of the injured nurses.

Calloway will now have to answer to the charges at a preliminary hearing before Kilker in his Shenandoah courtroom.