Mark Newman

A Lawrence County man was sentenced Thursday to the county Intermediate Punishment Program, after being charged with pulling a gun on two men during an argument.

Mark L. Newman, 22, of Ellwood City, was sentenced to 2 years in the program, with 3 months on house arrest with electronic monitoring by Butler County President Judge Thomas Doerr. That will be followed by 6 months of county probation. He was also ordered to pay court costs and $300 in fines.

Newman pleaded guilty May 9 to misdemeanor terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person, after an incident in Muddy Creek Township on April 8, 2017.

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 got into an argument with him, and 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.