Man charged with beating priest has prior assault, 'huffing' arrests

The man accused of clubbing a Pike Creek priest with a wine bottle has a criminal record that includes arrests for assault, threatening, resisting arrest and huffing spray used to dust computers.

Joshua August, 25, was charged this week with first-degree assault, third-degree assault, resisting arrest and criminal mischief after police said he beat the Rev. William Graney to the point of hospitalization at Resurrection Parish Catholic Church on Monday afternoon.

It is August's third arrest this year. He was picked up in June and charged with eight counts of criminal mischief, offensive touching and harassment, according to court records. Later in July, he violated the conditions of his bond, court records state.  

Court records state he was drinking wine with a friend after midnight at a house in Pike Creek when they got into an argument, August became aggressive and was asked to leave. 

Outside, August began yelling obscenities, constantly calling his friend's phone and pushed his friend when he confronted him on the porch, court records state. The calls continued, and at about 3:30 a.m. another person in the house was stirred from sleep by a scratching noise. 

She went downstairs to find August outside the front door. He asked for his friend and then left only to ring the doorbell three hours later. The woman then went outside to find the cushions of their porch furniture ripped up and strewn about the yard and August asking, "Are you satisfied now?" according to an affidavit of probable cause warranting his arrest.  

Further investigation, led police to believe August had also damaged a number of vehicles in the area, court documents state. When confronted by police, August said he didn't remember what he used to scratch the cars and said he returned to the house to try to get some marijuana, according to court records. 

After police left, he returned to his friend's house, damaged its storm door and other cars, police said in court records. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial next week. 

In 2014, he was charged with offensive touching.

In 2015, he was charged with third-degree assault, terroristic threatening, menacing, offensive touching and resisting arrest. Court records state he was arrested for beating an older family member to the point of hospitalization.

When police tried to arrest him, he yelled racial obscenities and locked himself in a room, according to court documents.

Court records state he was evaluated for mental health and substance abuse issues and was in some form of treatment before the charges were dropped in both the 2014 and 2015 cases in January 2017. 

He has on two occasions pleaded guilty in separate cases to resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. In June 2016, he was arrested for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, pleading guilty to the latter charge. Court records stated he cursed at the staff of Eye Care of Delaware. 

Huffing gas or some sort of fume has been a feature of at least two of his past arrests. While beating Graney Monday, August sprayed compressed air from a can into the priest's mouth, police said. 

In July 2015, August was charged with inhaling toxic vapors or fumes, which is the state's law against huffing substances like paint thinner, aerosol sprays or nitrous oxide. That charge was dropped. 

The following month he was again arrested for huffing. An affidavit of probable cause in that case states that August was trying to huff the gas even after being tased.

Around 6 p.m. on a Thursday evening in 2016, a New Castle County police officer said he saw August huffing from a can of aerosol on the porch of a home in Pike Creek. The officer approached and August ignored commands to stop. 

The officer took the can of Blow Off Duster computer cleaner and threw it on the ground 6 feet away. 

He checked August for weapons, and August picked up the can and continued to inhale the fumes. The officer sat him on the porch, and August again lunged for the can, according to the affidavit. 

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At that point, the officer tried to arrest him, and August collided with and damaged a wooden post on the porch.

Eventually, the officer got him with a knee on his back as more officers arrived. But August wriggled free, got the can and began to huff again, court records state. 

At this point, the officer used a stun gun on him. After five seconds of charge, August again tried to get the can. He was shocked for another five seconds, then stood up and fled the scene before being apprehended. The owner of the home told police he did not know August.

It is unclear if the compressed air that police said was sprayed into the priest's mouth was similar to that used in August's 2015 arrest.

Police have not said why August might have attacked Graney.

After his arrest, August told police he "wanted to kill [Graney]," according to the documents. August told police he enjoyed watching Graney with blood over his face and body, the documents showed. 

Bob Krebs, diocese spokesman, said that Graney was counseling August.

A worker at the parish saw August punching and kicking Graney's face and abdomen, documents showed. When she tried to intervene, August pushed her, causing her to fall and hurt her right arm. 

She also saw August grab a large bottle of wine, which he opened and poured on Graney. August then started hitting Graney with the bottle until it shattered. 

Graney was reported to be in stable condition Tuesday, and August was arrested while trying to escape on a skateboard. 

Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com. Follow @Ber_Xerxes on Twitter.