Security Training Center® News
August 3, 2023
Security Guard Charged in Death of Man
Allentown PA. August 3, 2023 An Allentown man is facing charges after punching a man thrown out of a bar, eventually leading to his death, authorities say.
William Baker, 49, a security guard, was charged with voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, and simple assault, said the Lehigh County district attorney in a news release Thursday.
Baker was working security at East Siders on Union Boulevard in the early morning hours of Sept. 29, 2019. The victim, Thong Pham, had been thrown out of the bar after a fight, the DA said.
A witness saw Baker punch Pham in the face, and Pham fell, hit his head on the ground, and went unconscious, authorities say.
Pham, who never regained consciousness, was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem and then transferred to a long-term care facility in Montgomery County.
He died two years later, in December 2021, at the age of 35, said DA Jim Martin in the release.
The Montgomery County coroner determined Pham died from complications of the traumatic brain injury he suffered after being punched and hitting his head on the ground, the DA said. His death was ruled a homicide.
"The charges of manslaughter reflect the conclusion of the investigation and the district attorney that the defendant did not have a specific intent to kill Pham and that the defendant did not strike Pham with legal malice," Martin said in a prepared statement. "Instead, I find that the defendant was unjustified in causing Pham’s death and that the defendant did so in a reckless or grossly negligent manner."
Baker turned himself into the authorities and was arraigned Thursday morning.
He is out on $50,000 unsecured bail, which means nothing needs to be paid unless a bail condition is violated.
Security Training Center® is a professional security guard training company. Our purpose to educate security personnel and organizations in the latest protocols and techniques to keep staff, property and other valuables safe. A proactive approach to security awareness prevents many problems from ever occurring, reducing risk to staff and liability. We teach early identification of potential problems and how to defuse conflicts before reaching crisis. Our staff and advisory board have decades of experience in military, law enforcement, executive protection, private security, defensive weapons and martial arts. Our training programs span the globe and are used on five (5) continents.
Original article posted by Private Officer International. Used with permission.
See Your Article Here!
Want to contribute an article to the Security Training Center® News? Click HERE to read our writing guidelines and submission process.
Information provided on this site is for educational purposes. It is not legal advice.