Partygoer charged with pulling gun on SRU student
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — A Westmoreland County man is accused of pointing a loaded handgun at a Slippery Rock University student during a weekend altercation at an off-campus apartment complex.
State police believe Austin J. Newell, 21, of Rillton was intoxicated when he pulled the gun about 12:15 a.m. Sunday, at University Village at Slippery Rock in Slippery Rock Township. No one was injured.
Troopers arrested Newell after he allegedly admitted displaying the firearm.
He was arraigned on misdemeanor charges of terroristic threats, simple assault, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct, and summary counts of harassment and public drunkenness.
He remains free on $25,000 bail.
A security guard at the apartment complex told police that he was walking his rounds shortly after midnight when he heard two men shouting, according to court documents.
Moments later the guard came upon Newell and told him to drop his gun. The defendant complied, police said, and surrendered to the guard.
The other man, Mitchell Tarap, told police that he and his girlfriend were walking through the courtyard when the defendant and another male approached them, documents said.
Tarap's girlfriend recounted that she felt the other male with Newell touch her back. She mentioned it to Tarap, who confronted the defendant.
According to the couple, that's when Newell pulled a gun, pointed it at Tarap and said, “You don't want this problem.”
Tarap responded, “Just go ahead and shoot me then,” according to the police affidavit.
The security guard told police that when he initially heard the commotion, one of the men was shouting, “Just shoot me.”
Newell, in his account to police, said he and a friend were at the apartment complex for a party Saturday night. He said he had a beer and two shots of vodka. They left around midnight.
He said that while he and his friend were walking through the courtyard, he suspected that he was being followed by a man and woman, later identified as Tarap and his girlfriend.
Newell showed the couple his gun, documents said, and told them “that they did not want to start a fight with him.” He claimed he couldn't recall if he drew the gun.
