LANCASTER, Pa. — A Lancaster city man pleaded guilty this week to assaulting two law enforcement officers in two separate incidents last year, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced.
Jamail Robertson, 27, assaulted a Lancaster City Police officer in April 2023, and he attacked a correctional officer at Lancaster County Prison in September 2023, prosecutors said.
He pleaded guilty but mentally ill to two counts of aggravated assault in a hearing Tuesday, according to the DA's Office.
At the same hearing, Robertson pleaded no contest to robbery, guilty to retail theft and guilty to providing false identification to law enforcement in connection to two other separate incidents in October and December of 2022, prosecutors said.
The first alleged assault case occurred on April 2, 2023, at about 10:14 p.m., according to prosecutors. A Lancaster City Bureau of Police Officer was assigned to transport Robertson from his holding cell to attend an arraignment.
After the officer removed Robertson from his holding cell, the defendant was asked to approach the slating counter to sign for his property. Robertson refused and as the officer attempted to bring him to the counter, Robertson started throwing punches and struck the officer in the mouth, causing a cut to his bottom lip that required stitches.
The second alleged assault occurred on Sept. 5, 2023, at Lancaster County Prison, prosecutors said. At about 9 p.m., a correctional officer was removing another inmate from their cell to be seen by medical staff.
While this was occurring, Robertson attempted to exit his cell stating he wished to make a phone call and take a shower, prosecutors said. The correctional officer communicated to Robertson he was not authorized to leave his cell at that time and would check with the housing block officer to see when those requests could be accommodated.
According to prosecutors, Robertson exited his cell and walked toward the telephones, disregarding orders to return to his cell. The correctional officer removed his pepper spray and Robertson hung up the phone and began to walk away before taking an aggressive stance toward the officer.
The officer deployed the pepper spray and Robertson fled to another area of the prison.
The officer attempted to place Robertson in handcuffs. Robertson actively resisted, shoved the officer violently into a dayroom metal table, and placed his hands around the neck/throat of the officer to pin him to the table.
A responding back-up officer deployed his taser to cease the assault, prosecutors said.
Robertson was also charged in October 2022 with entering a Turkey Hill in the 1000 block of Harrisburg Pike, Manheim Township, and taking a cigar from behind the register before leaving the business without paying. He then provided responding police officers with false names, prosecutors said.
The defendant was also charged in December 2022 with robbery after entering a store in the 1300 block of Lititz Pike, Manheim Township, and pushing a lit cigar against the victim’s thumb and grabbing money lying on the cash register.
The victim was able to knock the money out of Robertson’s hand before the defendant fled the store.
Robertson had previously been ruled incompetent to stand trial but was subsequently determined to be competent after a period of treatment at Torrance State Hospital, prosecutors said.
Robertson will be sentenced later following the completion of a presentence investigation report. He remains in Lancaster County Prison.
