Credit: Google Maps
A Bristol Borough man is in the hospital and facing federal charges after authorities allege he attempted to attack a courthouse security officer on Tuesday.
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Anthony Lombardo, 44, was charged Wednesday afternoon by the U.S. Department of Justice by criminal complaint and warrant with attempting to murder and forcibly assault, intimidate, and interfere with, a federal law enforcement officer, according to a spokesperson for U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
According to the warrant filed in federal court, a court security officer, who are private armed security contractors hired by the U.S. Marshal Service, was working his assigned post on North 7th Street at the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse and William J. Green, Jr. Federal Building in Philadelphia. Around 9:30 a.m., a white Dodge Caravan with Pennsylvania plate STANVIL pulled up and parked on the street about 75 feet from a vehicle checkpoint.
The Dodge had parked in a prohibited parking zone, which drew over the court security officer. Lombardo, who was behind the wheel, exited the vehicle and was armed with a “large kitchen knife” in his right hand, an FBI special agent wrote in court papers.
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“[Lombardo] approached [the court security officer]. At which time [the court security officer] discharged his service firearm, striking Lombardo. Lombardo fell to the ground on his knees, driving the knife into the dirt of a tree planter on the side of the road. Lombardo released the knife, leaving it in the ground. With his right hand, Lombardo then began grabbing at an unknown object inside the left sleeve of his long- sleeved shirt. [The court security officer] discharged his firearm once more, striking Lombardo, who then laid on his back with arms outstretched,” according to the FBI.
During a Tuesday press conference, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark said the court security officer called for the alleged attacker to drop his weapon before discharging his gun.
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A witness told investigators she witnessed Lombardo being rendered medical aid after being shot and spotted a second knife being pulled from the injured man.
A second witness assisted court security officers with Lombardo’s apprehension and offered him medical aid. They saw a second knife protruding from the sleeve of Lombardo’s left arm, authorities said.
“Responding law enforcement officers also observed that Lombardo’s clothing was oddly shaped in that the outline of a square, bulky object was visible beneath his gray hooded sweatshirt. This concerned law enforcement personnel that a potential explosive device may be secreted beneath Lombardo’s clothing. That object was later found to be makeshift body armor made of hard plastic,” according to the FBI.
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Lombardo reportedly flailed his arms and legs as law enforcement responded and begged them to “let me bleed out.”
The FBI special agent assigned to the case wrote in the warrant, which was signed by a federal magistrate judge, that it appeared Lombardo was attempting to kill or seriously assault the court security officer.
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In a statement, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jacqueline Romero said Lombardo remained in the hospital recovering from being shot as of Wednesday afternoon. He is in federal custody while being treated.
The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office and the U.S. Marshal Service are investigating.
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The federal complex in Philadelphia is secured by the U.S. Marshal Service; approximately 65 contracted court security officers, who are often retired police officer; and the Federal Protective Service, a federal police agency tasked with protecting facilities.
Prior to Tuesday’s shooting, Lombardo had been free on $30,000 unsecured bail out of Bucks County since he was arrested last April for a string of incidents where he cut wires, causing thousands of dollars of damage in Bristol Borough in 2021.
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Lombardo is still awaiting a preliminary hearing in the Bristol Borough case.
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