COAL TOWNSHIP - An inmate at SCI-Coal Township has been charged by state police with attempted homicide for allegedly stabbing another inmate in the neck with a six-inch metal shank in December in what may have been a gang-related incident.
The victim was attacked from behind on a basketball court and removal of the shank required an emergency operation at Geisinger Medical Center, authorities said.
Ramon Aikeen Frazier, 22, was arraigned via video at 1:30 p.m. Thursday by Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III on felonies of criminal attempt to commit homicide, aggravated assault (two counts) and assault by a prisoner, and misdemeanors of possessing instruments of crime and possessing a prohibited offensive weapon.
The charges were filed by Troopers Ronald Zanella and Kevin Kearney of state police at Stonington.
Frazier, who is a native of Delaware and resided in the Pittsburgh area at one time, is accused of stabbing 23-year-old Dashawn Anthony Harris, of the Pittsburgh area, at 2:20 p.m. Dec. 1 while the victim was playing basketball in the west yard.
No feeling in limbs
Police said Harris, who had the metal shank stuck in the right side of his neck, was conscious but complained of having no feeling in his limbs upon being treated at the scene and transported to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
The shank was made from a piece of heavy-gauge fencing, police said.
Harris, who was admitted to Geisinger with what police described as a potentially life-threatening injury, required "emergency operative intervention" by a neurosurgeon. He has been returned to SCI-Coal Township, but is still undergoing physical therapy for his injury, according to police.
Gembic set cash bail at $25,000 and ordered the defendant to appear for a video preliminary hearing that is scheduled to be conducted this morning between his office and SCI-Coal Township, where Frazier also remains incarcerated.
Gang related?
According to an affidavit of probable cause, Harris told Kearney at Geisinger on Dec. 1 that he couldn't identify who stabbed him because he was attacked from behind.
Harris said he didn't know why he was attacked, but said the assault may have been gang-related because he is a member of the Bloods.
State police said Frazier admitted to two lieutenants at the prison during a Dec. 8 interview that he stabbed Harris.
During a Jan. 12 recorded interview with state police Cpl. Richard Bramhall Jr., Frazier initially denied stabbing the victim and claimed what he wrote in his statement to the lieutenants was a lie. Frazier told Bramhall he was a member of the Crips and had prior conflict with Harris while both men were inmates at SCI-Pine Grove, including an incident in which Harris "beat him badly."
'Pretty good reason'
Later in the interview with Bramhall, Frazier stated, "I stabbed Dashawn Harris and it's for a pretty good reason though because ... if I didn't get him, he was gonna get me."
Bramhall said a few minutes later, Frazier admitted what he wrote in his statement during his Dec. 8 interview was true.
Asked by Bramhall if he wanted to kill Harris, Frazier replied, "No, I didn't want to kill him." Frazier said he understood that stabbing someone in the neck could kill a person, but replied, "I had to do what I had to do."