Ambler Borough Police Department. Photo by James Short.
A frantic 911 call had to be located by GPS for police to find the scene, said reports.
After a frantic 911 call to Montgomery County Dispatchers, Ambler Police reported to Southern Avenue within the Borough to discover signs of an assault, according to reports.
On Aug. 27 around 8:04 a.m., police responded to a call of “suspicious activity,” after dispatchers said they could hear a female crying in the background of a 911 call, said reports. Police said that a female be overheard saying “Please let me go,” while a male said “Get up. Get up.” Dispatchers told police the female then screamed “Why are you doing this to me. Let me go,” per reports.
The reports said that, as authorities attempted to pinpoint the location, the dispatcher continued to overhear a dialogue between the two persons, as follows:
Female, crying: “I’m so scared.”
Male: “We don’t care. Stand up. Stand up.”
Male, yelling: “Get out of my living room.”
Upon arrival utilizing GPS to locate the location of the caller, police said that they were met with Jamal Adams-Black, 37, of Southern Avenue in Ambler, who was shirtless in his living room. Adams-Black claimed a female was hanging out with him the prior night (Aug. 26, 2024), when the two began arguing, police said. Adams-Black claimed, according to reports, that the female had attempted to leave for the Ambler Train Station to go to her home, but that the trains had quit running for the night, and she returned to his home. He said that the woman argued with him and “punched him in the face several times,” said reports.
Police said that, despite his claims, Adams-Black did not have any observable injuries. He also was asked if he’d like to be evaluated by paramedics, but declined, reports said.
Ambler police spoke with a female at the scene who reported Adams-Black had “punched her several times in the face with a closed fist,” police reported. The female told them Adams-Black had a knife on his person, and police retrieved a steak knife from his front pocket, according to reports. Police said they also observed blood, which Adams-Black reported came from the female on the scene, on a nearby chair and wall.
The female reported to police that she was thrown to the floor and kicked in the face, collar bone, and shoulder areas, said reports. Police said the female reported that she tried to leave the home, but she was not permitted to do so by Adams-Black. She said it was not until morning that she was able to call police, said the report.
Police said that they observed swelling to the female’s face, eyes, and mouth, also noting she was limping and only had one shoe on when police arrived. The female was transported by paramedics to Abington Memorial Hospital to be treated for her injuries.
Ambler Borough Police Department took Adams-Black into custody on Aug. 27. He is being held on $50,000 bail, which was changed on Aug. 28 to be a non-monetary conditional bail, according to court documents. Adams-Black is charged with a felony count of aggravated assault, with attempts to cause serious bodily injury with extreme indifference, as well as a misdemeanor charge of simple assault. Additional charges of harassment, subjecting another to physical contact, and disorderly conduct, engaging in fighting, were also added.
Adams-Black is being held in county jail unable to post bail. He is due for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 6 at 9:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Douglas H. Lavenberg.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
