A man is facing numerous charges after showing up at a police station armed with an AR-15 rifle, a handgun and ammo strapped to his chest.
South Strabane police had arrested Allen Lepley on Thursday, a day before he showed up at the police station, Chief Don Zofchak said.
Police initially arrested Lepley in connection with an alleged road rage incident in the Walmart parking lot. When police responded to the incident, they found a woman crying with her young child, saying a man with a gun was threatening her and recording it on his phone.
A day later, officers saw the same man on their surveillance camera walking into the police station with the guns.
“With those weapons coming in to the station, into the lobby, we were on guard to say the least,” Zofchak said. “We’ve notified all the area police departments.”
According to the criminal complaint, Lepley, who had a gun strapped to his hip, had blocked the woman's vehicle in a parking spot and screamed, “Stupid” and “You’ll be sorry.” The woman said she remained in her vehicle in fear of her and her child’s safety.
Police arrested Lepley, charging him with making terrorist threats, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, and took his gun and cellphone.
When he showed up at the police station the next day, the chief said officers didn't know what they were dealing with because “his behavior Thursday was irrational (and) way beyond the scope of a parking issue.”
At the station, Zofchak said Lepley wasn’t threatening, but kept demanding they give him back his gun and his phone, something they didn’t do because the gun was part of the alleged crime at Walmart.
The man does have a legal permit to carry firearms. However, Zofchak said even if someone has a permit to carry guns, they are not permitted to carry on South Strabane government property. He said he’s glad police were able to de-escalate the situation and get everyone home safely.
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