June 20--HAMILTON -- During last week's incident between Billy Ray Hall and Hamilton authorities, Hall choked a paramedic and leaped at a police officer sending them both tumbling down nine feet of stairs, according to court testimony.
Hall, 46, who is facing felonious assault, felonious assault on a police officer, assault of a police officer and two counts of resisting arrest charges, was in Hamilton Municipal Court on Thursday morning with his attorney David Washington for a preliminary hearing.
Hall had been released from jail last week, but when he failed to show up for court on time Tuesday, Judge Dan Gattermeyer set bond at $75,000. He remains an inmate at the Butler County Jail.
Dan Bagley, a Hamilton firefighter/paramedic, said when he and five others arrived on the morning of June 11 at a Heaton Street apartment they found Hall sitting up in the bathroom with his eyes closed and unconscious.
"He was pale ... sweaty," Bagley said. "His breathing was labored and pupils were pinpoint ... a sign of opiad use."
After Bagley administered Narcan to counteract the drug, Hall regained consciousness quickly.
"He admitted to using heroin," Bagley testified. When Hall was told the use of Narcan required him to be transported to a hospital, the paramedic said Hall began to fight.
"He charged me, grabbed my face multiple times and grabbed my throat," Bagley said. He suffered bruises on his neck during the scuffle, he said.
Bagley was able to grab one of Hall's hands, but the other hand remained on his neck.
"I asked him several times to let go of the throat, but he just kept squeezing harder," Begley said.
Police Officer David Patterson testified he found Hall and Bagley on the floor of the bathroom.
"He appeared to be calming down. I told him he needed to get up and go down the steps," Patterson said.
The officer said Hall then "crouched down and charged me."
Patterson said they both slid backward down the steps and he punched Hall a couple times in the head. He said he was on top of Hall, who was on his back.
Hall grabbed his groin, Patterson said, and he punched Hall again trying to get him to stop.
During the incident, Hall was saying he couldn't breath, Patterson said.
Officer William Thacker arrived at the scene and shocked Hall in the buttocks with a Taser, which ended the struggle. But Thacker said as he was trying to remove the Taser barbs, Hall again started fighting and nearly hit him with a "mule kick."
Thacker said he was hit with the Taser barbs.
Patterson was treated for muscle strain and Thacker for a puncture wound.
Washington questioned Patterson about if Hall ever hit him after the fall down the steps.
Patterson said no, other than grabbing him in the groin.
"While he was getting punched, he was Tased in the butt," Washington said.
Following the preliminary hearing, visiting Judge Mark Hardig bound the case over to a grand jury for consideration.
Washington said after the hearing that his client was disoriented when the incident occurred and should have followed instructions from police and paramedics.
"But everyone could have handled things a little better," Washington said.
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