Shortly after midnight on January 23, an altercation inside the emergency room at Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, led to the arrest of Donald Burks, a 36-year-old man from Levittown, following an alleged assault on a hospital security officer.
Bristol Township Police were dispatched at approximately 12:20 a.m. after receiving a 911 call reporting a fight in progress in the emergency department. When officers arrived, Burks had already been restrained by hospital staff in the lobby area. He was taken into custody without further incident.
The criminal complaint and witness statements indicate that the situation began when Burks became increasingly agitated while inside the emergency room. He told staff he believed he was being discriminated against and complained about being treated unfairly. Witnesses described him as highly agitated and verbally upset. One witness told Officer William Schmidt that Burks “appeared to be very agitated and rambling about people not treating him fairly and discriminating against him.” A hospital security officer approached Burks to understand his concerns and attempt to de-escalate the situation.
The encounter escalated when Burks moved into the officer’s personal space and punched him in the face, initiating a physical struggle. Police reports state that the officer was shoved, punched, and kicked during the altercation. While on the ground and attempting not to fight back, the officer was subjected to further violence when Burks allegedly ripped dreadlocks from the officer’s head.
When officers arrived, they found the officer’s ripped dreadlocks scattered across the hospital lobby floor, which police documented as physical evidence. Hospital surveillance footage reviewed by Bristol Township Police reportedly corroborates witness accounts and shows Burks attacking the security officer inside the facility.
Burks told police that he believed hospital staff were discriminating against him and claimed he was acting in self-defense, stating he felt he was protecting himself.
Hospital personnel intervened during the altercation and restrained Burks before police arrived. The injured security officer has not been publicly identified.
