Doctor charged with felony strangulation in Louisville after confronting teens about social distancing

john-rademaker-04-09
john-rademaker-04-09

A Louisville-area doctor has been arrested, accused of choking a teenage girl while confronting a group of young people about social distancing in a video that’s gone viral.

John Rademaker, 57, was named as the man seen pushing three teenage girls before putting his hands around the neck of a fourth girl who’s sitting on the ground, news outlets reported. The incident happened Friday night at Norton Commons, a community in Prospect, in far eastern Jefferson County.

Rademaker was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree strangulation, a felony, and harassment with physical contact, according to Louisville Metro police.

Southern Indiana Anesthesia Consultants said it has placed “the physician that appeared in the video” on administrative leave.

Police released a statement urging anyone with concerns about social distancing to contact authorities, rather than take matters into their own hands.

Rademaker was released on his own recognizance pending an arraignment hearing scheduled for May 8.

To see the video from Shaun King’s twitter feed, click here.

The Associated Press