After allegedly punching a man in the face outside a Schuylkill County grocery story, police say a man took off his shirt and screamed, “you know my name, its Tabourn, come find me,” before fleeing the scene.
The incident occurred shortly before 5:30 p.m. on March 21 in the parking lot of the Weis Markets in Norwegian Township, according to State Police.
When they got to the scene, a Trooper says he found the victim standing near his vehicle with a swollen and bloodied lower lip. The victim told police his vehicle had broken down in the fire lane, and he was attempting to repair it while his girlfriend waited inside the car. According to the victim, Robert Tabourn III, 34, of Port Carbon, is a past acquaintance. Tabourn exited the store with another man and approached the vehicle.
Police say Tabourn began screaming and yelling in an attempt to start a fight. The victim told police he did not engage and kept his hands in his pockets. Tabourn then punched the victim in the face with a closed right fist, police say.
After falling to the ground, the victim immediately got back up and retreated toward his vehicle to avoid escalating the situation, police add.
However, Tabourn walked backward away from the victim, removed his shirt and tried to start a fight. That’s when he allegedly yelled, “You know my name. It’s Tabourn. Come find me!” before leaving the Weis lot.
The victim’s girlfriend and a supermarket shift manager who was outside on a break both witnessed the incident. Both told police they saw Tabourn aggressively approach the victim, scream at him, and punch him while the victim refused to fight back. The manager also confirmed seeing Tabourn remove his shirt and identify himself before he fled.
Police positively identified Tabourn as the assailant by comparing supermarket surveillance footage with his PennDOT photograph. Tabourn has been charged with a misdemeanor count of simple assault as well as summary counts of harassment and disorderly conduct. He’s been ordered to answer to these charges at a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 23 at District Court in Port Carbon.
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