Man charged with assaulting deputy at county building

CATSKILL―A Catskill man is behind bars after he allegedly assaulted a sheriff’s deputy and injured two others during an altercation at the Greene County Office Building.

It happened around 11:45 a.m. on Thursday when, according to the Greene County Sheriff's Office, the man became belligerent inside the building at 411 Main Street in Catskill.

Sheriff Peter Kusminsky said the man was told to leave but instead proceeded to assault a deputy.

The man was identified as 39-year-old John C. Leibach.

A struggle ensued during which a special patrol officer and a civilian employee of the Department of Social Services (DSS) were also injured.

Leibach was tased during the struggle, Kusminsky said.

The deputy was transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital for treatment and has since been released. The special patrol officer and DSS employee were not seriously hurt.

Leibach is charged with second-degree assault, a felony, as well as resisting arrest and third-degree criminal trespass, both misdemeanors.

He was arraigned in Catskill Town Court and remanded to the Greene County Jail without bail. Additional charges against him are possible, the sheriff’s office said.

Leibach had posted to Facebook just minutes before the incident.

One of those shared posts states: “Fathers are paying child support for kids they can’t even see… then people wonder why men are angry.”

In another post, he wrote, “I love how fake these people really are, they claim they gansta, they tough and will shoot anyone but yet turn around and [expletive deleted] with the same lame [expletive deleted] they swear they don't do..... these dude are only tough with other people but in all reality scared to fight 1 on 1. Don't get knocked out or beat up for being lame.”