Two men were recently engaged in a verbal altercation when a confrontation between them allegedly became physical. A 73-year-old and a 39-year-old were involved. The older man wound up being taken into police custody and is now facing criminal charges.
State troopers who responded to the incident say the older man caused the situation to escalate when he allegedly punched the younger man. Police claim the older man then entered his home. When he came back outside, he supposedly started firing off shots from a rifle to scare the other man.
Older man is now in a county jail
Police took the older man into custody. At last report, he was being held in county jail with bail set at $5,000. Multiple charges have been filed against him, including reckless endangerment. In Pennsylvania, reckless endangerment is a second-degree misdemeanor. To convict someone of this crime, prosecutors must prove that a defendant recklessly engaged in conduct that placed another person or people in danger of serious injury or death.
It is not uncommon for someone standing trial for reckless endangerment in Pennsylvania to claim that the accused individual was acting in self-defense. Or an accused person might claim that any damages resulting from a particular incident were, in fact, the result of an accident. If the state fails to meet its burden of proof, no conviction can occur. It is always best to secure experienced defense support at the earliest opportunity, especially when the individual has been detained by law enforcement authorities.