A Slippery Rock man is headed for trial on felony assault and other charges for allegedly causing a courtroom commotion and clashing with sheriff’s deputies last month.

But at Monday’s preliminary hearing in District Judge Pete Shaffer’s courtroom, 43-year-old Robert W. Dunkel Jr., remained subdued and well behaved, saying not a word.

At the hearing, Eric McLafferty, a Butler County deputy sheriff, described confronting an agitated Dunkel on Feb. 24 in the courtroom of Shaffer’s brother, Common Pleas Judge William Shaffer.

Dunkel was in county court for sentencing on a summary harassment conviction. The defendant in that case was found guilty in January for harassing a student at Slippery Rock University in 2013. At the time, he, too, was attending SRU.

While the victim, a woman in her 20s, was reading her impact statement, Dunkel became annoyed and interrupted her, McLafferty said.

“It seemed the things she was saying he didn’t agree with,” McLafferty said of Dunkel. “He was making deep sighs and snorts of derision.”

The deputy said he moved closer to Dunkel, who was standing at the bench, hoping to deter his behavior. When that failed, McLafferty said, he grabbed Dunkel by the arm and led him to a seat at the wall near Shaffer’s chamber door.

Dunkel’s then-attorney, public defender Joe Smith, walked over and tried to calm his client.

“He got more agitated,” McLafferty said of Dunkel.

Shaffer called for a recess and started walking to his chambers.

“(Dunkel) got up from his seated position,” the deputy testified, and directed a derogatory remark at Shaffer.

“Eventually, I took him to the ground,” McLafferty said.

Dunkel’s new court-appointed attorney, Armand Cingolani, asked the deputy why he believed force was necessary.

“I couldn’t tell if he wanted to come after the judge,” McLafferty replied.

Two other deputies helped try to subdue Dunkel, who was on the floor but still struggling. Deputy Codi Csellar was cut on a finger and her hand was scraped during the fracas

A fourth deputy moved into the fray and Dunkel was subsequently taken away.

Following Monday’s testimony, Pete Shaffer ordered Dunkel held for court on felony and misdemeanor assault charges as well as obstructing the administration of justice and resisting arrest.

He remains in the Butler County Prison on $50,000 bail.

After the hearing, Cingolani hinted about a possible defense strategy.

“I think it’s a mental health case,” Cingolani said. “He didn’t have the mens rea (criminal intent) to make a criminal assault on anyone.”