Male HS student punches female teacher in head amid massive brawl she tried to break up; teacher hospitalized; student arrested for aggravated assault



A male student was caught on cellphone video punching a female teacher in the head amid a massive brawl at a suburban Philadelphia high school earlier this week. The teacher — who was trying to break up the multi-student fight — was hospitalized, and one student was arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

What are the details?

The brawl took place at Norristown Area High School — about 45 minutes northwest of Philadelphia — just after 9 a.m. Wednesday, the Times Herald reported. West Norriton Township Police Chief Michael Kelly told the paper the fight took place on the school's second floor.

“A fight broke out, and a female teacher intervened, and while she was intervening, another male student struck her in the head,” Kelly said in a phone interview with MediaNews Group, according to the Times Herald.

Image source: WPVI-TV video screenshot, composite

An unblurred video circulating on social media shows a student kicking a teacher, who's lying on a hallway floor, and then punching her in the head. The teacher then grabs her head with both hands and curls up flush against a row of lockers.

The paper said the teacher was taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated for her injuries. Norristown Area School District Superintendent Christopher Dormer added to the Times Herald that the teacher was “evaluated and sent home the same day.”

No other injuries were reported, the paper said, but Kelly noted that the incident remains under investigation as law enforcement officials review video.

Student arrested

One student was arrested in connection with the brawl and charged with aggravated assault, WPVI-TV reported. Police haven't released the student's name because the student is a juvenile, the station added.

Dormer addressed the incident in a Wednesday letter to parents, saying, "[F]or the first time in all my years as superintendent, I chose to address the entire high school student body over the school's public address system ... all students involved in this incident are subject to the highest levels of school-based discipline, and we are working with local law enforcement to ensure appropriate criminal charges are applied," the station said.

The high school was closed to students Friday due to an unsubstantiated threat related to the brawl, WPVI said, after which some parents said they're concerned about sending their children to the school.

"You don't even want your kid to go to Norristown High, you know? It's getting to that," Norristown resident Tanea Cole told the station. She also told WPVI that the brawl was "disgusting" and that it's "sad that we got teachers coming to teach our kids, and they're getting beat up at school."

Man who fatally shot two, wounded another outside bar acted in self-defense, according to police citing preliminary evidence



Police — citing preliminary evidence — said a man who fatally shot two and wounded another outside a suburban Philadelphia bar Friday night acted in self-defense, the Bucks County Courier Times reported.

What are the details?

Surveillance video of the parking lot for the Steam Food and Pub in the 600 block of Second Street Pike in Upper Southampton captured the entire incident and clearly shows what happened prior to the 11:30 p.m. shooting, Detective James Schirmer told the paper.

The video shows the confrontation escalating into a physical assault and ending with gunshots, Schirmer told the Courier Times.

Autopsy results released Tuesday indicate Steven A. Panebianco, 30, of Bensalem, sustained gunshot wounds to the right thigh and torso, and Raymond A. Farrell IV, 28, of Philadelphia, sustained "multiple" gunshot wounds, the paper said.

At least five to six bullets were fired, the Courier Times reported, adding that police said Panebianco and Farrell each were shot more than once.

The Bucks County district attorney confirmed the shooter has a valid permit to carry a firearm, the paper said, adding that a firearm was recovered at the scene.

The Bucks County coroner's office listed the manner of death as homicide, noting those deaths are classified as at the hands of another person, the Courier Times said, adding that no decision on criminal charges is expected until later this week.

Authorities have not identified nor have they interviewed the 24-year-old man who was shot and wounded in the incident, but Schirmer told the paper he's no longer hospitalized.

The alleged shooter is 21 years old, but his name hasn't been released, the Courier Times said. He called 911 and identified himself as the shooter and remained on the scene until police arrived, the paper said, adding that police said he's been cooperating with investigators.

Schirmer declined to say if the alleged shooter was hurt, the Courier Times noted.

Anything else?

Friends and family of Panebianco and Farrell told WPVI-TV they want answers about what happened.

"I'm going to miss watching them grow, watching them grow to the men that they are because it's been non-stop," Michael Maranon told the station, adding that the pair were among his best friends.

Justin Jordan, Farrell's brother, told WPVI that Farrell has a young son and Panebianco was celebrating getting a new job: "Ray was a terrific father, family man, an honest worker. Steve — the same thing. We were actually going to stay in last night and go to his son's soccer game this morning. That was the plan."

Two teenagers bash 82-year-old man in head from behind, knock him down, steal his truck — along with gift he'd just bought for his wife



Police said two teenagers hit an 82-year-old man in the head from behind in a suburban Philadelphia mall parking lot earlier this month, knocked him down, and stole his truck — along with a gift he'd just purchased for his wife.

What are the details?

The victim had finished shopping at the Willow Grove Mall around 8:15 p.m. Sept. 10 and was walking through the mall parking lot toward his truck, Abington Township police told WPVI-TV.

Two male teenagers then approached the victim from behind, and one of them hit the man in the back of his head with a hard object, police told the station.

The suspects forced the victim to the ground and told him, "This is a hold-up. Give us all your money," WPVI said.

The suspects then grabbed the keys to the victim's truck — along with a gift he had purchased for his wife, the station said.

The pair fled in the vehicle, which was described as a red 2008 Ford Ranger two-door pickup truck with a ladder rack in the bed and a Pennsylvania license of YVG-3700, WPVI reported.

Police on Wednesday released surveillance images of the suspects, the station said.

Abington Township police are asking anyone with information about the suspects or the truck to contact them at 267-536-1100; those with information also can call Detective Jeff Anderson at 267-536-1102.

How are folks reacting?

As you might imagine, folks aren't too happy about what went down. Here's what a few commenters had to say about a KYW-TV news story about the attack that Yahoo! News ran:

  • "Very brave teens," one commenter wrote.
  • "'Respect your elders'...LOL...nowadays it's a miracle if the teens manage to stop assaulting/killing them...these are definitely dark days for humanity," another commenter said.
  • "Lock them up!" another commenter declared.
  • "Released immediately if caught," another commenter predicted.