A Warren man faces two felony charges after allegedly assaulting an aide in the Warren State Hospital on Sunday.

Matthew D. Johnson, 35, was charged with second-degree felony aggravated assault, third-degree aggravated harassment by a prisoner and disorderly conduct on Sunday. Bail was set at $40,000 cash on Monday during a preliminary arraignment by Magisterial District Judge Laura Bauer. A preliminary hearing will be held May 21.

According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, an employee called police after an alleged incident with a patient at the state hospital. The aide told police that Johnson had allegedly punched a fire alarm several times until the alarm went off, which the aide said created alarm and panic throughout the building. The aide reportedly approached Johnson in an attempt to calm him down, but Johnson allegedly called the aide a derogatory name.

“Johnson then aggressively approached (the aide) with his fists in the air,” the affidavit states. “(The aide) backed up and grabbed Johnson’s arm as he swung at him. Johnson then backed up and spit directly on (the aide’s) face. Before (the aide) could react, Johnson spit again, hitting (the aide) in the chest. Hospital staff were able to detain and sedate Johnson before any further assaults.”

The aide sought medical attention because it wasn’t known if Johnson had any communicable diseases.

Johnson has faced several minor charges over the past several years including disorderly conduct and harassment 17 times since 2021, with jail sentences ranging from five days to 10 days.