A Pittsburgh man accused of threatening to kill a woman and her boyfriend at a Summit Township restaurant and carrying a gun without a license had his request to be released from jail on nonmonetary bond denied Wednesday, June 25, in Common Pleas Court.

Judge Joseph Kubit denied the bond modification motion from John Henry Skeakley Fox, 33, who is being held in the county prison in lieu of $50,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge of firearms not to be carried without a license, misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of terroristic threats, as well as two summary harassment charges.

Fox’s attorney, assistant public defender Kolten Hilterman, said Fox requested the bond reduction so he can seek physical therapy for a gunshot wound to his right leg.

Fox, who attended the hearing remotely from the jail, said he is worried about having permanent difficulty walking if he didn’t receive therapy. He said has received some therapy in prison.

In addition, he said he would stay with a friend in Pittsburgh and find a job as a mechanic if he is released.

Assistant district attorney Zoe Kecskemethy opposed the motion, saying Fox is facing felony gun charges in this case and a previous case, and that he has provided no confirmation of where he would live and does not have job lined up.

State police filed the charges against Fox following a Feb. 5 incident at Vin and Joe’s Inn

Police said Fox told a woman he would kill her and her boyfriend and was in possession of a ghost gun after he left the restaurant. Police said they encountered Fox at the intersection of East Jefferson Street and Delwood Road in Butler Township and detained him.

Fox had a Palmetto State Armory Dagger 9 mm pistol with a magazine and laser concealed in his waistband, but did not have a concealed carry permit, police said.

Police said they also found a pistol magazine, box of 9 mm rounds, 5.56mm rifle rounds, multiple drug paraphernalia items and a black plastic case containing the hallucinogen DMT.

Fox’s bond was set at $85,000 the day after the incident and was reduced to $50,000 on Feb. 20, according to court records.

According to an affidavit filed in the previous case, a trooper was making a traffic stop June 3, 2024, on Hicks Road in Penn Township when a man, later identified as Fox, rode past on a motorcycle without a license plate.

The trooper said he activated the emergency lights on his marked patrol vehicle to conduct a traffic stop, but Fox kept driving for about a mile at around 35 mph before pulling into a barn on Hick Road.

Fox yelled at the trooper, said he had a gun and wanted to kill himself, according to the affidavit. He was arrested and the trooper removed a loaded black semiautomatic pistol from his waistband and a 16-inch steel bat from his boot. The gun, which Fox said he built, did not have a serial number, according to the affidavit.

The trooper said he then learned Fox was wanted on a warrant, his driver’s license was suspended and he didn’t have a permit to carry a gun. Fox also was found in possession of a small amount of marijuana and five Adderall pills, and the bike he was riding had an expired registration, according to the affidavit.

In that case, which also is pending in court, Fox is facing felony charges of firearms not to be carried without a license, possessing a firearm with an altered manufacturer’s number and altering identification marks, a misdemeanor count of fleeing police and seven summary traffic violations.