A Tunkhannock man threatened Lackawanna County sheriff’s deputies when they tried to arrest him on Courthouse Square in Scranton on Wednesday, according to the criminal complaint.
At about 1:30 p.m., a woman approached county deputies concerned about a man, later identified as James Harding, who was intoxicated, sitting on one of the Courthouse Square benches.
Deputies already spotted the 65-year-old on camera and noted he was aware he was not allowed on Courthouse Square.
When deputies approached Harding, he exhibited signs of intoxication, including a strong odor of alcohol, slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and unsteady balance, according to authorities.
With a cup of beer sitting next to him, Harding repeatedly yelled profanities at the deputies. When asked to put his hands behind his back, he refused, officials said.
Cpl. Kevin Murphy and Deputy David Toughill called additional deputies and took him into custody.
As deputies walked him to the courthouse, he continued being disorderly and yelled, “You will lose your jobs over this,” according to the complaint.
He tried to spit on Toughill and then spit in Murphy’s face. Once in a cell, he continued being disorderly, officers said.
Harding, of Bridge Street, faces charges of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. He remains at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $7,500 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. on Sept. 30 before District Judge George Seig.