SHAMOKIN - An inmate at SCI-Coal Township charged with stabbing another inmate in the neck with a six-inch metal shank in December was ordered Tuesday morning to appear for a pre-trial conference Oct. 5 in Northumberland County Court after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing on multiple charges including criminal attempt to commit homicide.
Ramon Aikeen Frazier, 22, waived to court 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 was represented at the hearing by Northumberland County Public Defender Michael Romance, told Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III that he understood the ramifications of waiving the charges and his county arraignment.
Frazier, who appeared in an orange prison jumpsuit, was escorted to and from his arraignment by three correctional officers at SCI-Coal Township.
Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Rosini and Zanella were in the courtroom ready to prosecute the case if Frazier chose to take a full hearing. But the defendant informed Romance that he preferred to waive the charges to county court to expedite the case.
No feeling in his limbs
Frazier is accused of stabbing 23-year-old inmate Dashawn Anthony Harris, in the neck with a six-inch metal shank made from a piece of heavy-gauge fencing while the victim was playing basketball in the west yard of the state correctional institution at 2:20 p.m. Dec. 1.
Police said Harris, who was attacked from behind and 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.
Harris, who was admitted to Geisinger with what police described as a potentially life-threatening injury, required "emergency operative intervention" by a neurosurgeon. He was returned to SCI-Coal Township, but is still undergoing physical therapy for his injury, according to police.
Police said Frazier is a native of Delaware and resided in the Pittsburgh area at one time.
Gang related?
Dave Varano, superintendent at SCI-Coal Township, said Frazier is serving a 2 1/2 to 7-year state prison sentence on criminal conspiracy and robbery charges committed in Northampton County. He said Frazier was committed to the state prison system May 2, 2007, and was incarcerated at SCI-Pine Grove on July 26, 2007. He remained at SCI-Pine Grove before being transferred to SCI-Coal Township on April 12, 2010.
Varano said Harris, who is from the Pittsburgh area, is serving a 7 1/2 to 20-year state prison sentence for first-degree murder committed in Allegheny County. He was incarcerated at SCI-Pine Grove on Sept. 13, 2007, and remained there until being transferred to SCI-Coal Township on Nov. 15, 2011.
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."
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."