Arrest made after attack at NBV optometrist’s office

Police say Darnell Howell was armed with two knives and was completely naked as he ran away.

A naked North Belle Vernon man is accused of terrorizing employees at a local optometrist’s office while wielding two knives to damage the office and then trying to break into vehicles parked along Broad Avenue.

Darnell Wesley Howell Sr., 54, of Broad Avenue, was arrested by North Belle Vernon police Monday afternoon following the bizarre incident that began shortly after 1 p.m. at the Check Eye Group’s office at 527 Broad Ave.

An employee told police she was outside on break when she saw Howell, wearing only shorts, staggering and swinging two large knives. She said he approached her and tried to break into a car, then chased her inside the doctors’ office. She was screaming, “There is a man with two knives coming in,” according to the affidavit of probable cause.

The employee said she hid in the bathroom while several other co-workers attempted to lock themselves into different rooms while Howell was knocking items off the walks and knocking down display cases and glasses, the complaint states.

Dr. John Cicchini told police he was performing an exam on a patient when he heard the disturbance in the front of the office. While Cicchini was calling 911, Howell was trying to kick in the door to the exam room, the complaint states. The staff said Howell never spoke during the incident.

Police said Howell stabbed couch cushions, the walls, and doors. He took his shorts off at some point during the incident in one of the office rooms.

Police Chief Eugene Lipari encountered Howell near the front of the office. After initially refusing to drop the knives, Howell eventually placed them on a display table. Police said he refused commands to put his hands behind his back and ran out the front door. Still naked, Howell ran about two blocks east on Broad Avenue, both on the sidewalk and in the middle of the street, trying to enter both businesses and parked cars along Broad Avenue, according to police.

Lipari, along with Rostraver and Monessen police, cornered Howell in the 600 block of Broad Avenue, where he was arrested and taken to Penn Highlands Mon Valley Hospital for knife wounds.

Howell is charged with three counts of aggravated assault – attempts to cause or causes bodily injury with deadly weapon, three counts of simple assault, three counts of recklessly endangering another person, criminal mischief, indecent exposure, public drunkenness and similar misconduct, and disorderly conduct.

Howell has a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Wayne Vlasic set for 10 a.m. Feb. 13. He is being held at Westmoreland County Jail, unable to post $50,000 bond.