A Harrisburg man, Joshua Dudley, was found guilty of assaulting hospital staff at a Cumberland County hospital following an incident on April 12, 2025. The jury in Cumberland County reached their verdict on March 27, 2026, after a two-and-a-half-day trial presided over by Judge Christylee L. Peck. Dudley was convicted on two counts of simple assault by physical menace and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.
According to the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office, Dudley became agitated while waiting in the hospital and began punching his own head before faking a seizure. When hospital staff intervened to prevent him from harming himself, Dudley bit his tongue and spat bloody saliva on the staff. He also attempted to kick, bite, and scratch them, leaving deep red marks and injuring a staff member's wrist.
The district attorney reported that Dudley ceased his violent behavior upon learning that the police had been called. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Joseph O'Donnell and charged by Sergeant Bradley McAlester of the East Pennsboro Township Police Department.
Dudley's sentencing is scheduled for June 9, 2026. In the meantime, Judge Peck has ordered Dudley to have no contact with any of the victims or witnesses and placed him on a GPS monitor. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about safety in healthcare settings.