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Southwood worker accused of pushing, kicking minor

2 min read
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An employee at Southwood Psychiatric Hospital in North Strabane Township was charged Tuesday in connection with the April assault of a minor.

The incident occurred April 26 and was captured on surveillance video.

North Strabane police say the video shows staff member Tamika Jones pushing the minor to the ground and then kicking him in the head.

“The video then shows (the minor’s) head propelling backwards towards the wall,” the criminal complaint states.

Jones, 40, was charged with felony aggravated assault, felony child endangerment, along with abuse of a care-dependent person and simple assault.

According to the criminal complaint, a co-worker who witnessed the incident immediately reported it to her supervisor.

After watching the video, hospital Director Kacey Kramer suspended Jones the same day. Kramer also filed a report with the Department of Human Services’ Office of Children, Youth, and Families’ ChildLine, which accepts child abuse referrals.

The co-worker who made the initial report said there was no apparent reason for Jones to strike the juvenile, court documents state.

The complaint says Jones told North Strabane police she was called in to assist a coworker who had been assaulted by the minor. She claimed her actions were self-defense, as the minor moved toward her.

Jones was arraigned on the charges Tuesday by District Judge Michael Manfredi, who set bond at $50,000, and was released.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 18.

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