BEDFORD— A 63-year-old Bedford man is in custody following an unprovoked assault at an apartment complex that escalated into a volatile confrontation with law enforcement and hospital staff on Tuesday morning.
Georg H. Rathburn was arrested on February 24th, by the Bedford Police Department. He faces a slate of charges, including intimidation, battery, resisting law enforcement with force, and disorderly conduct.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Officer Zakry E. Brooking, police were dispatched to an apartment complex at 2600 block of Industrial Park Drive around 11:36 a.m. The male complainant reported that he had been standing in a hallway waiting for a friend when Rathburn emerged from a nearby apartment and attacked him.
The male victim told officers that Rathburn swung at him three times, striking him once in the right shoulder. A witness at the scene corroborated the account, and the property manager later provided video surveillance footage to investigators. According to the affidavit, the footage clearly shows Rathburn pursuing the male victim down the hall and striking him in the back of the shoulder.
When Officer Brooking located Rathburn inside a resident’s apartment, the situation quickly became combative. Rathburn reportedly refused to cooperate or stand up, and when the officer attempted to place him in handcuffs, Rathburn “forcibly tensed his arms” to resist.
Once restrained, the arrest took a disturbing turn. Rathburn began screaming “police brutality” and intentionally struck his head against the ground several times. To prevent Rathburn from injuring himself further, officers had to restrain his head and move him to his side.
The resistance continued as additional officers arrived. Rathburn reportedly refused to walk, forcing officers to carry him to a patrol vehicle, where he had to be “forcibly placed” inside for transport.
Due to Rathburn’s actions of striking his head against the floor, he was transported to IU Health Bedford Hospital for medical clearance before being booked into jail.
While at the hospital, the disorderly behavior intensified. Police report that Rathburn continued to scream, disrupting both patients and medical staff. During the evaluation, Rathburn allegedly looked at Officer Brooking and issued several death threats, stating he was “going to kill” the officer and that the officer was “dead” once Rathburn was released.
After being medically cleared by hospital staff, Rathburn was transported to the Lawrence County Jail.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
