School Bus Aide, Lansdale Man, Choked 6-Year-Old Boy: DA

MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, PA — A school bus driver in Montgomery County choked a 6-year-old boy with his hands earlier in the fall after struggling to buckle the boy in to his seat, officials announced on Thursday.

The incident occurred back on Oct. 16 at around 4 p.m. while on a school bus Montgomery Township.

Bus aide MacArthur Wilson, 72, of Lansdale, whose job involves child supervision and ensuring the safe and smooth passage of children from their home to school, had been asked to sit with the victim.

Wilson spent several minutes "struggling" with the boy's seatbelt, with his frustration apparently mounting until he put his hands around the child's neck and squeezed, police said.

The boy was choked for about seven seconds until the bus driver yelled at him, according to the District Attorney's Office.

The child returned home visibly upset with hand marks on his neck, police said. The driver reported the incident as soon as the bus returned to the school yard, and it was also caught on the bus surveillance video.

The child was about one minute from his home when the incident occurred, the DA said.

Wilson has been charged with strangulation, attempted simple essault, recklessly endangering another person, and harassment. He turned himself in to Montgomery Township Police and was released on $5,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2024.