Deputy in court as defendant in assault cases

Robin Green is used to seeing the inside of a courtroom.

As a veteran deputy sheriff, she frequently found herself in court either handling security or transporting prisoners to and from their hearings.

Green, 48, of South Philadelphia, was in court again yesterday, but this time the circumstances were slightly different - she was there as a defendant.

She was arraigned on charges of attempted murder, aggravated and simple assault, making terroristic threats, possessing an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person.

The charges stemmed from a recent dispute that ended when Green, no relation to Sheriff John D. Green, allegedly exacted some brutal revenge on her neighbors.

Shortly after noon on April 30, Green got into a heated confrontation with Umeka Simmons, 34, on Tasker Street near 17th, said Det. Joe Chiaro of South Detectives.

The crux of the dispute: Green was looking for Donald Brown - who knew both women - and Simmons wouldn't divulge his whereabouts.

"As far as we can gather, [Green] just wanted to know where he was," Chiaro said.

"For whatever reason, she winds up cracking Simmons in the head with a baseball bat and leaves her there."

Simmons required eight staples to close a gory gash on the side of her head, Chiaro said.

As Simmons lay bleeding on the ground, Green, a deputy sheriff since 1994, stormed off to find Brown.

She arrived at his house on Dorrance Street near Dickinson and knocked.

When Brown, 52, answered his door, Green allegedly shot him once in the penis, Chiaro said.

Brown almost bled to death from the wound. He was placed in a medically induced coma at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania after doctors managed to save his life.

By 10:30 p.m. on April 30, Green was arrested after Simmons identified her, Chiaro said.

Brown woke up from his coma on May 4 and identified Green - then in jail for allegedly beating Simmons - as his attacker. Additional charges were added to her case, and Green is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on June 19.

Chiaro said investigators recovered Green's 9-mm. service revolver from the trunk of her Honda.

A single bullet had been fired from the gun.

Barbara Deeley, the chief of staff for the sheriff's office, said Green was suspended on May 1 for 30 days with intent to dismiss.

"Right now, we don't know what caused this to happen, outside of it being a neighborhood dispute," said Chiaro, noting that detectives have ruled out a possible toxic love triangle.*

Staff writer Mark McDonald contributed to this report.