Man pleads in gun threat case
A Lawrence County man charged with pulling a gun on two men during an argument pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges on Wednesday.
Mark L. Newman, 22, of Ellwood City, pleaded guilty to terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person before Butler County President Judge Thomas Doerr.
The plea agreement calls for a sentence of 2 years in the county Intermediate Punishment Program, with 3 months on house arrest with electronic monitoring. That will be followed by 6 months of county probation, and he will be ordered to pay court costs, fines and restitution when he is sentenced on May 17.
Newman was initially charged with two counts each of felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor terroristic threats and simple assault, as well as one count each of misdemeanor unlawful restraint, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct after an incident in Muddy Creek Township on April 8, 2017. The remaining charges will be dismissed as part of the plea.
State police said Newman pulled a gun on two men during an argument at the Pilot gas station parking lot on Route 422, after Newman parked behind another person's vehicle, preventing the man from leaving.
The victim, who reported not knowing Newman, then got into an argument with him, when Newman “lifted his shirt exposing a black handgun in his waistband.”
Another man saw the incident and “attempted to calm” Newman, police said, who in turn pointed the gun at that man's neck, another witness recounted.
Newman subsequently returned to his car and drove away, but returned a few minutes later, police said. He parked his car and got out, “pulling the handgun and pointing it” at the first man with whom he had been arguing, documents said, before driving away again.
Later that night, Shenango Township police in Lawrence County said that Newman led them on a chase in Shenango and neighboring Slippery Rock townships. Newman got away, but later turned himself in to state police.
He was charged with misdemeanor fleeing or attempting to elude an officer and summary traffic violations, to which he was sentenced to 2 years of Lawrence County probation in December.
He remains free pending sentencing after previously posting $15,000 bail.
