LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — A Lancaster man is accused of assaulting a victim and telling the individual to lie about the incident to police.
Christopher Wiker, 20, faces charges of aggravated assault, intimidation of a witness or victim and recklessly endangering another person, court documents show.
Just before 1 a.m. on January 26, police were dispatched to an emotional disturbance. Upon arrival, police spoke with Wiker who advised that the victim had suicidal thoughts and as the victim walked away, he tackled him.
Police then spoke with the victim who said that he walked from his house to a Turkey Hill, blacked out, fell and hit his neck, and then continued to walk to Wiker’s residence, the criminal complaint says. The victim was taken to Lancaster General Hospital to be committed and checked for a neck injury.
Later that day, police received a call from the victim’s mother who wanted to report an assault that occurred at a home on Newswanger Road in Pequea Township.
The victim spoke with police a second time, opening up about the incident. The individual said the two had been in contact on Facebook and the victim wanted to hang out with Wiker because they were friends in high school. According to the criminal complaint, Wiker picked up the victim and brought him to a home on Newswanger Road.
While at the residence, Wiker asked the victim to purchase beer due to him being only 20 years old, the criminal complaint says. They walked to a Turkey Hill located at the intersection of Long Lane and Route 272 South, purchased the beer and went back to the residence.
According to the criminal complaint, the men were drinking and Wiker decided to start a camp fire in the back yard.
Wiker then asked the victim to step outside in which he allegedly picked the individual up in a face-to-face bear hug, put the victim over his shoulder and flipped him over his back. The criminal complaint states that the victim landed on the back side of his head.
The criminal complaint adds that Wiker helped the victim up by pulling on his jacket before allegedly pushing him back down and around the yard. During the incident, Wiker allegedly dropped the victim on his head three to four times.
That’s when Wiker told the victim that he would contact emergency personnel but if the victim told the truth, he “knows where he lived,” and implied that he would hurt the victim again. Wiker advised the defendant to tell a story that he had suicidal thoughts and be committed. At the time, the victim agreed to comply out of fear.
