A member of the Dewey EMS ambulance squad who was trying to treat a patient in mid-August was subjected to a “rant” that included ethnic intimidation, Lower Saucon Township Police said Tuesday in a news release.
According to police, John Placotaris, 50, of the 2100 block of Apple Street, was the patient, and the ambulance service was attempting to treat him and take him to St. Luke’s University Hospital on the morning of Aug. 15.
Placotaris has been charged with harassment and ethnic intimidation, police said.
Last month he was charged with burglary and other offenses, after township police say he smashed windows in order to enter a home in the 2100 block of Apple Street where a resident had an active protection from abuse (PFA) order against him.
At that time police listed his address as being in the 1600 block of Washington Street, Easton.
The PA crimes code defines ethnic intimidation–a third degree misdemeanor–as follows:
Ethnic intimidation.
(a) Offense defined.--A person commits the offense of ethnic
intimidation if, with malicious intention toward the actual or
perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry,
mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender or
gender identity of another individual or group of individuals,
he commits an offense under any other provision of this article
or under Chapter 33 (relating to arson, criminal mischief and
other property destruction) exclusive of section 3307 (relating
to institutional vandalism) or under section 3503 (relating to
criminal trespass) with respect to such individual or his or her
property or with respect to one or more members of such group or
to their property.
