Bizarre incident results in 6 charges
Teacher accused of attacking police
Thursday, December 29, 2005
BY REGGIE SHEFFIELD
Of The Patriot-News
A Central Dauphin School District teacher faces charges of assaulting a Lower Paxton Twp. police officer and possession of illegal drugs after being arrested earlier this month while standing naked in the snow outside of his home, police said.
Curtis Lofton, 23, of Springford Terraces, Lower Paxton Twp., was arrested early in the evening of Dec. 10 after a neighbor called police to report a disturbance, court documents say.
Lower Paxton Twp. police said that when they arrived to investigate the disturbance, they found Lofton standing stark naked in the snow.
Lofton was charged with aggravated assault involving a police officer, resisting arrest, open lewdness, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of the prescription drug oxycodone.
According to court papers, when Lofton was asked if he was okay, he responded, "No, I am ... crazy, and I need a menthol cigarette."
When asked where he lived and why he was naked, Lofton is alleged to have said that he was "Jesus Christ" and that the officer must be "God," court papers say.
A scuffle broke out between the two men during which Lofton is alleged to have hit the officer over the head with a long plastic toy trumpet which he scooped up from nearby.
The officer used his pepper spray on Lofton, at first to no avail. Then a cursing Lofton advised the officer that "'Jesus' is now blind," court papers say.
Central Dauphin School District spokeswoman Shannon Spencer said that the school would have no comment on Lofton, a second-year French teacher, and his troubles with the law.
"No comment. That's something we won't be releasing," Spencer said.
Lofton's attorney, Terrence J. McGowan, said that the school district had scheduled a meeting to discuss Lofton's future. Lofton taught in Central Dauphin High School.
"Basically, he had some mental health issues that hopefully are in remission. I don't think it affects his ability to be a French teacher and it wasn't school-related, so we're hoping we can get him back to work," McGowan said.
McGowan said that his defense of his client was somewhat complicated in that his client did not recall any of the events of Dec. 10.
McGowan said that Lofton's performance reviews have been "excellent" and that he had an "impeccable" record as a teacher.
"At this point, I don't know what the school's intentions are," he said.
Lofton is currently undergoing a psychiatric examination and has been released on $10,000 unsecured bail.
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