A Pennsylvania school crossing guard who was violently attacked in a viral video outside an elementary school has resigned following the incident, while the man accused of punching her was later found and arrested Friday in South Carolina.
Rashiem Russell, 29, of West Philadelphia, allegedly punched the unidentified female guard, who is in her 30s, Monday around 3:50 p.m at the intersection of South 6th and Walnut streets outside Walnut Street Elementary School in Darby.
Darby Police Chief Joe Gabe said investigators believe Russell became impatient after the crossing guard stopped traffic for students boarding a bus, NBC 10 reports. He allegedly began honking and revving his engine before getting out of his vehicle and confronting her.
Video obtained by the outlet shows the man chasing the guard along the sidewalk, briefly blocking her path, then punching her in the face and knocking her to the ground before fleeing on foot.
The guard suffered a concussion and is recovering both mentally and physically from the attack, according to Risa Desilva-King, CEO of Safe Corridors, the company that employed her. She has since resigned from her position.
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“There were children standing right there and he proceeded to assault a woman who was doing her job,” Desilva-King told NBC 10. “Completely unacceptable. Completely.”
After the attack video spread widely online, Darby Borough police asked for the public’s help identifying the suspect, while Pennsylvania State Sen. Anthony H. Williams announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Authorities later identified the suspect as Russell, and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest. Investigators tracked him to South Carolina, where they learned he had a close family connection.
Members of the U.S. Marshals Philadelphia Task Force coordinated with the Carolinas Regional Task Force and located Russell at a home in Darlington around 11 a.m. Friday, the U.S. Marshals Service in Philadelphia announced in a social media post. He was taken into custody without incident.
Officials said Russell attempted to explain himself during the arrest, but deputies declined, informing him that their role was strictly to locate and apprehend him.
Russell now faces aggravated assault and related charges and is being held in the Florence County Jail while awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania.
