Harrisburg Bureau of Police (HBP) arrested 26-year-old Isaiah Hall after a Saturday morning attack that left a man on a ventilator, authorities said.Court documents say police charged Hall with felony aggravated assault and a simple assault misdemeanor after surveillance video showed him walk up to a husband and wife and punch them both in the head. The incident happened outside the Nocturnal bar on the corner of 2nd Street and Pine Street. The punch left the man unconscious and sent him to the hospital.The assault happened next to a LiveViewTech (LVT) camera system on 2nd Street. Police used the LVT to track Hall, and found he visited Nocturnal Friday night, the night before, and that HPB used the bar’s ID scanner to identify him.HPB arrested Hall Monday morning.Businesses near the incident say the latest violence heightened concerns about safety downtown.”A lot of people don’t want to come down here when it’s dark,” said Vicki Vaccarella, co-owner of Palumbo’s Italian Eatery. “And truthfully, I don’t blame them anymore.”Since 2020, Vaccarella and her husband have owned Palumbo’s. She described a series of recent incidents that worried staff, including a fight in a bar she witnessed near her restaurant.”We went out down here this past Saturday night. We went across the street to one of the local bars, and there was an incident that happened in there. I was extremely scared,” said Vaccarella. An attack happened six months ago in which someone hit her husband in the face with a rock after he asked them numerous times to move off their front step.Due to the numerous incidents on 2nd Street after dark, Palumbo’s changed their closing hours to be earlier at 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.”We’re out of here before the bar crowd because we had issues when we were open at that time,” said Vaccarella. “How bad is it going to get? I mean, you cannot blame our officers because they can only do so much.” WGAL reached out to HPB for comment on recent downtown activity, including the assault involving Hall, but has not responded to that specific request. Police declined to comment on active investigations.”I feel safer during the day, but in the evenings when it’s late, you never know what’s going to happen. And I know people have no quality of life anymore,” said Vaccarella. “I have an 8-year-old and I have a 25-year-old. So my 8-year-old, like he loves to come out here, but now I fear him coming out and being downtown at all anymore.”
Harrisburg Bureau of Police (HBP) arrested 26-year-old Isaiah Hall after a Saturday morning attack that left a man on a ventilator, authorities said.
Court documents say police charged Hall with felony aggravated assault and a simple assault misdemeanor after surveillance video showed him walk up to a husband and wife and punch them both in the head.
The incident happened outside the Nocturnal bar on the corner of 2nd Street and Pine Street. The punch left the man unconscious and sent him to the hospital.
The assault happened next to a LiveViewTech (LVT) camera system on 2nd Street. Police used the LVT to track Hall, and found he visited Nocturnal Friday night, the night before, and that HPB used the bar’s ID scanner to identify him.
HPB arrested Hall Monday morning.
Businesses near the incident say the latest violence heightened concerns about safety downtown.
“A lot of people don’t want to come down here when it’s dark,” said Vicki Vaccarella, co-owner of Palumbo’s Italian Eatery. “And truthfully, I don’t blame them anymore.”
Since 2020, Vaccarella and her husband have owned Palumbo’s. She described a series of recent incidents that worried staff, including a fight in a bar she witnessed near her restaurant.
“We went out down here this past Saturday night. We went across the street to one of the local bars, and there was an incident that happened in there. I was extremely scared,” said Vaccarella.
An attack happened six months ago in which someone hit her husband in the face with a rock after he asked them numerous times to move off their front step.
Due to the numerous incidents on 2nd Street after dark, Palumbo’s changed their closing hours to be earlier at 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
“We’re out of here before the bar crowd because we had issues when we were open at that time,” said Vaccarella. “How bad is it going to get? I mean, you cannot blame our officers because they can only do so much.”
WGAL reached out to HPB for comment on recent downtown activity, including the assault involving Hall, but has not responded to that specific request. Police declined to comment on active investigations.
“I feel safer during the day, but in the evenings when it’s late, you never know what’s going to happen. And I know people have no quality of life anymore,” said Vaccarella. “I have an 8-year-old and I have a 25-year-old. So my 8-year-old, like he loves to come out here, but now I fear him coming out and being downtown at all anymore.”
