Physician arrested, charged with strangulation after attack on teen girls. They said he was angry they were outside amid social distancing.

Police arrested a Kentucky physician and charged him with strangulation after an attack on teenage girls caught on video — and the girls told WLKY-TV the good doctor was angry they were outside amid social distancing guidelines put in place to quell the spread of the coronavirus.

What went down?

Three witnesses said the incident began when the attacker and a woman accompanying him confronted a group of nine teens who were watching the sunset at the Norton Commons Amphitheater, the Courier-Journal reported, adding that it's an upper-class neighborhood.

One of the witnesses contacted the station Sunday saying the alleged attacker — identified as John Rademaker, a Louisville-area physician — and the woman cursed at the teens Friday evening for being outside while COVID-19 social distancing guidelines are in place.

Video of the incident shows Rademaker exchanging words with the girls, after which he points at "this asshole right here" — and then shoves at least two girls.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot

Then he bends over before kneeling down and appears to put his hands around the neck of a third girl, who was lying on the ground. The woman with him had her hands around the third girl's leg.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot

Here's the clip. (Content warning: Language):

WLKY said video it obtained showed the attack stopping after a young man ran up and told Rademaker to back off. The attacker and the woman left the scene immediately after, witnesses told the Courier-Journal.

Police told the station that the victim in the attack suffered minor injuries; the paper noted that she was checked at the scene by medical personnel and didn't require hospitalization.

What happened to Rademaker?

Rademaker — a 57-year-old from Prospect — was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with first-degree strangulation and three counts of harassment with physical contact, the Courier-Journal reported, citing a Louisville Metro Police statement.

Rademaker was released from jail later Tuesday on a personal recognizance bond, the paper added, citing online court records.

The Courier-Journal noted that Rademaker didn't have an attorney listed in online court records as of Wednesday morning, and a May 8 arraignment hearing is scheduled at Jefferson District Court.

Baptist Health officials told WLKY that Rademaker is with an anesthesia group Baptist Health contracts with, and he was put on administrative leave following the incident.

That group released the following statement Tuesday, the station said:

SIAC, a division of One Anesthesia PLLC is aware of the incident that occurred in Norton Commons with one of its physicians, who was not on official call or due to report to the hospital in any official capacity. With that said, the partners of SIAC, a division of One Anesthesia PLLC have decided to place the physician that appeared in the video on administrative leave as of April 5th pending further investigation. Our well wishes extend to all parties involved and we will continue to monitor this situation as new information develops.

What did police have to say?

"Obviously, we do not advise individuals concerned about social distancing to take matters into their own hands and confront people about it, especially in any physical way," police said in a statement, WKLY noted. "We ask people who are concerned about large gatherings to call 311 or 911 to report their concerns."

Louisville physician accused of getting physical with teens over social distancingyoutu.be