PUNXSUTAWNEY BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – A Punxsutawney man is facing criminal charges related to an incident where he allegedly pinned a woman down and repeatedly punched her in the back of the head.
Court documents indicate the Punxsutawney Borough Police Department on August 12 filed the following criminal charges against 48-year-old Christopher Allen Brasse:
– Simple Assault, Misdemeanor 1 (two counts)
– Harassment – Subject Other to Physical Contact, Summary
Around 8:30 a.m. on August 11, Christopher Allen Brasse and a known female victim became involved in a verbal argument that turned physical after the victim caused Brasse to spill coffee on himself, according to the complaint.
Brasse then allegedly threw the remaining coffee on the victim and sprung to his feet, close to the victim’s face. The victim, who reported she feared Brasse was going to hit her, pushed him away, causing him to fall on the bed. He allegedly grabbed the victim’s arm and pulled her on top of him, then raised his hands as if to slap her, the complaint continues.
The victim broke free by pushing and scratching at Brasse’s face, and Brasse then got up and began to throw things at the victim. He then went toward the victim, who believed he was going to hit her, so she raised her leg to push him away, and her foot came in contact with his stomach, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, Brasse then picked up the victim and put her on the bed face first with his hand on her back, forcing her head into the bed. The victim reported she was crying out and was unable to breathe, and Brasse then began striking her in the back of the head with a closed fist. He allegedly struck the victim three times on the back of the head and once in the back of the neck.
The victim told police Brasse stated, “If you are going to fight like a man, you deserve to be hit like a man,” and then asked her, “Are you done yet?” The victim responded by exclaiming that she couldn’t breathe, and then moved toward the end of the bed, resulting in both individuals falling on the floor, with the victim on top of Brasse. Brasse then reportedly stated, “I can do this all day,” and the victim got up, grabbed her purse, and locked herself in a bathroom, according to the complaint.
The victim attempted to call a family member from the bathroom, but Brasse tried to break down the door, striking it with enough force to crack it. The victim told police he only stopped because he called his therapist in an attempt to create an alibi, the complaint indicates.
Brasse was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock at 10:25 a.m. on August 25.
Unable to post $10,000.00 (10%) monetary bail, he was lodged in the Jefferson County Jail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. on September 22, with Judge Mizerock presiding.
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