SUNBURY - A preliminary hearing scheduled for this afternoon for teenager Naheem Jahad Reams has been continued until next week at the request of the arresting officer.
Reams, 17, was charged as an adult by Trooper Ronald Zanella of state police at Stonington with numerous offenses, including aggravated assault and driving under the influence of marijuana, involving a June 5 high-speed chase that ended when he was shot by a Sunbury police officer on Chestnut Street near Front Street.
Reams, who reportedly last lived in Shamokin, was arraigned Friday afternoon on the charges by Magisterial District Judge Benjamin Apfelbaum and committed to Northumberland County Prison in Sunbury in lieu of $175,000 bail. He is being housed separately from the general prison population, according to prison operations commander Brian Wheary.
A secretary at Apfelbaum's office said the hearing was continued until 1 p.m. Aug. 13 because Zanella wasn't available. Reams will be represented by Northumberland County Chief Public Defender Edward Greco. Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Rosini will prosecute the case.
The defendant spent 20 days in Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, for treatment of wounds to his abdomen from the shooting.
In addition to six counts of aggravated assault and DUI offense, Reams faces two felony counts of fleeing or attempting to elude police, two misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, two misdemeanor counts of accidents involving death or personal injury, and summaries of limitations of backing, careless driving, reckless driving, driving upon a sidewalk (two counts), driving under suspension, operating a vehicle without proper inspection, two counts of driving the wrong way on a one-way street, three turning violations and six stop sign violations.