A Butler man is accused of assaulting a nurse at Independence Health System’s Butler Memorial Hospital in Butler Township, and threatening people with a knife at Terrace Apartments in Butler on the same day.

Township police filed charges against Stephen Edward Brennfleck, 64, on Monday, May 11, and Butler city police filed charges Thursday, May 7, the day both incidents occurred.

At 5:53 a.m. Thursday, township police responded to the hospital for a report of an assault involving a patient and a nurse. The nurse told police Brennfleck became verbally aggressive, yelled obscenities and said he wanted to fight, according to an affidavit.

The nurse told Brennfleck to return to bed before Brennfleck hit the nurse in the face with an open hand, knocking his glasses off his face, police said.

Brennfleck then tried to punch the nurse, but he avoided the punch and restrained Brennfleck until help arrived, police said. The nurse told police he had pain and difficulty hearing from his right ear following the interaction, police said.

Later that day, Butler police were dispatched at 5:27 p.m. for reports of Brennfleck wielding a knife and threatening to kill people. Police arrived and found multiple people standing outside and Brennfleck standing in a doorway a few feet from a knife.

Police interviewed four people who said Brennfleck threatened to kill them while holding a knife.

In the incident at the hospital, Brennfleck has been charged with felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor simple assault and summary charges of criminal mischief and harassment.

In the later incident, police charged Brennfleck with one misdemeanor count each of terroristic threats, simple assault and disorderly conduct.

Brennfleck is being held in Butler County Prison on a $250,000 bail. His preliminary hearing on the Butler city case is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. May 18 before District Judge William Fullerton.