DELMAR, Del.- Delaware State Police have arrested 30-year-old Randon D. Wilkerson in connection with a pair of assaults that left a Delmar police officer and an elderly couple injured early Sunday in the Yorkshire Estates subdivision in Delmar.
Public Information Officer Master Cpl. Gary Fournier and Delmar Police Chief Ivan Barkley said that at around 5:15 a.m. Sunday, April 25, Cpl. Keith Heacook responded to a 9-1-1 call about a fight in progress to the 11000 block of Buckingham Drive near the Wawa convenience store.
The 9-1-1 caller reported that one of the occupants, who was later identified as Randon Wilkerson, was being disorderly, fighting with other people in the house, and destroying items inside the home.
Randon D. Wilkerson
Moments later, a separate 9-1-1 call was received from a neighbor across the street from the original caller, saying he and his wife had been assaulted by a man.
Heacook responded to the house of the initial call and was met with a physical confrontation with Wilkerson inside the home, according to police. Charging documents state that a woman inside the home witnessed Wilkerson "slam his foot down on (the officer's head) repeatedly" as the officer was face down and appeared unconscious.
Barkley says backup officers were called to the home and found Heacook unresponsive.
Heacook was taken to TIdalhealth Peninsula Regional in Salisbury before being taken by police escort to Shock Trauma in Baltimore where he was listed in critical condition.
Delmar Police Cpl. Keith Heacook
The investigation into the separate - but related assault - which involved an elderly couple across the street, revealed that Wilkerson had knocked on the back door and was met by the 73-year-old male victim.
Charging documents show that the man let Wilkerson come inside at which time Wilkerson is accused of punching him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Wilkerson is then accused of having picked up a glass angel figurine and used it to repeatedly strike the man in the head and face, according to charging documents. The documents state that Wilkerson reportedly told the older man: "I'm going to kill you."
Charging documents also state that before leaving the house, Wilkerson use the glass figurine to break the eye sockets of the 76-year-old female victim.
Both of those victims sustained significant injury with court records showing the male victim needing staples to the side of his head. Both victims were transported by ambulance to area hospitals. The woman was later taken to Shock Trauma in Baltimore.
Wilkerson was observed walking on the rear of the property of the first 9-1-1 call and was taken into custody without incident. According to charging documents, Wilkerson confessed to "ingesting large amounts of illegal narcotics and alcohol, and confessed to assaulting the residents, the neighbors, but denied assaulting the police officer."
He was transported to Troop 5 in Bridgeville and charged with the following:
- Attempted first-degree murder
- Two counts of first-degree assault
- Two counts of Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony
- First-degree burglary
- Third-degree assault
- Terroristic threatening
After his arrest, Wilkerson received an additional charge of offensive touching of a medical professional, which according to court records, happened when he kicked a phlebotomist as she attempted to draw blood from his feet for a blood draw requested by police.
Wilkerson was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $451,000 cash bond. A preliminary hearing for Wilkerson is scheduled for Wednesday, April 28 in the Court of Common Pleas.
Maryland court records show that in Wicomico County - of which half of Delmar is located - Wilkerson had an active arrest warrant on file there for failing to appear for a court case over a fourth-degree burglary charge.
Delaware State Police are continuing the investigation into both events and is working collaboratively with the Delmar Police Department, the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police, and all other involved agencies.