Erie Times-News | By Tim Hahn
MEADVILLE -- A man accused of forcing the evacuation of an apartment building and a downtown street Sunday afternoon when police said he pointed a gun at two men faces assault and endangerment charges.
Anthony J. Dupont, 47, of Meadville, was taken into custody without incident after police were called to the corner of Water and Walnut streets at 5:44 p.m. Sunday on the report of a man seen with a gun.
Police said Dupont pointed what appeared to be a shotgun at two men who were walking along Walnut Street. The victims told police that Dupont was on his back porch and had taunted them. He then went inside briefly before coming back out with the gun, racking it as if he had put a shell in the chamber and pointing it at the men, Meadville Police Chief David Stefanucci said Monday.
The men left the area in their car and called police, Stefanucci said. Officers who responded knocked on Dupont's apartment door, but he would not answer, Stefanucci said.
Police evacuated other tenants of the apartment building and closed the street near the building. Officers got Dupont's phone number from the building owner, and after contacting him by phone, Dupont agreed to surrender, Stefanucci said.
Police later learned that the gun Dupont pointed at the men was a pump BB gun, he said.
Dupont was arraigned before Meadville District Judge William Chisholm on Monday on charges of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. He was placed in the Crawford County Correctional Facility on $50,000 bond.
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