Man charged with punching sister and niece

WILKES-BARRE — Police in Wilkes-Barre were forced to use strap restraints to stop a man from kicking out windows of a cruiser following a physical domestic disturbance on Harkins Lane late Sunday night.

Anthony Jerome Mathis, 39, resisted arrest as several Taser stuns were ineffective after he punched his sister and her daughter several times, according to court records.

After Mathis was handcuffed by several police officers needed to subdue him, he allegedly kicked the windows of a cruiser resulting in strap restraints being placed on him, court records say.

Mathis, of Harkins Lane, was arraigned Monday by District Judge Michael Dotzel of Wilkes-Barre Township on two counts each of criminal attempt to commit aggravated assault and criminal attempt to commit simple assault, and one count each of simple assault, resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct, harassment and public drunkenness. Mathis was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $75,000 bail.

According to the criminal complaint:

Police responded to a domestic disturbance on Harkins Lane at about 10:15 p.m.

A woman told officers Mathis punched her and her daughter in the head and walked away.

Officers spotted Mathis in the area of Harkins and Griffith lanes.

Mathis took an aggressive approach toward an officer and refused commands to stop.

An officer deployed a Taser several times that were ineffective to stop Mathis, the complaint says.

Several officers were needed to handcuff Mathis who allegedly resisted being detained.

Once Mathis was placed in a rear seat of a cruiser after a struggle, police in the complaint say he kicked windows of the cruiser that required the use of strap restraints being placed on him.

After being taken to police headquarters, Mathis allegedly attempted to bite an officer during the process of placing a spit mask on him.