No One Hurt In Standoff

By BONNIE ADAMS [email protected]
Tuesday, September 07, 2004 Page: 3A

WILKES-BARRE – Police escorted a South Sherman Street man from his home
Monday afternoon after a 40-minute standoff during which a woman escaped.

Sgt. Joseph Novak said the man, whom police did not identify, fired a shot
inside the home at 33 S. Sherman St., but he had not threatened his father or
a woman inside.
“He was damaging his own property in the house,” Novak said.

Police said Monday night that the investigation was concluded and no
charges were being filed.

Novak said the initial call to police at 1:30 p.m. said there was a man
with a weapon and a shot had been fired. The suspect’s father told police that
his son had fired one shot into a ceiling. Novak said the woman had run from
the home.

The suspect had told police that he would surrender if they agreed not to
handcuff him. He emerged from the home at 2:08 p.m. as police in front of the
home aimed their weapons at him. Police were also located along Winter Lane,
an alley behind the property.

About 25 bystanders gathered at the intersection of South Sherman and Rose
Lane. One man said he was helping a friend with a car when they heard a loud
sound and a scream. They thought that a child had been struck by a car but
realized the noise must have been a gunshot.

The shirtless suspect made an obscene gesture with both hands as police
escorted him to a cruiser.

Novak said police recovered three rifles and one handgun from the house,
but it had not been determined which weapon might have been fired. A neighbor
said police had been to the home Sunday, but Novak had no information about
that.

Bonnie Adams, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7241.

(1)



An unidentified man allegedly involved in a standoff Monday is escorted
from his South Sherman Street home by Wilkes-Barre police, Lt. Steve
Olshefski, left, Detective Barry Jacob and Sgt. Joseph Novak.

(2)



Wilkes-Barre officer Harold Sereyka uses a protective shield during Sunday
afternoon’s standoff at 33 S. Sherman St.

(3)



Wilkes-Barre police officers Leonard Gutkowski, standing, and Kirk Merchel,
position themselves along Winter Lane behind a South Sherman Street house
where a man allegedly fired a gun.