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Scranton man carried from courtroom

John Walton is accused of setting fire to his van in a Tuesday incident at a Plains Township dealership.

By Edward Lewis elewis@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

PLAINS TWP. – A Scranton man intentionally banged his head on a door and fell to the floor inside a courtroom on Wednesday, a day after he allegedly set fire to his own van outside the showroom of an area car dealership.

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John Walton refuses to get out of a Laflin police car at the district judges office.

AIMEE DILGER / The Times Leader

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A shackled John Walton, 58, had to be carried out of District Judge Diana Malast’s courtroom when he threw himself on the floor after he was charged by township police with four counts of arson.

Police allege Walton set a fire to his Ford van in front of the showroom at Coccia Ford Lincoln Mercury after he threatened a sales consultant during a high-speed drive on Route 315 on Tuesday. Police said Walton was at the dealership complaining the van had transmission problems.

At his arraignment on Tuesday when he was charged by Laflin police with threatening the employee, Walton refused to get out of the police cruiser prompting the court proceeding to take place inside an ambulance garage.

Walton was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $75,000 total bail.

According to the criminal complaints:

Walton arrived at the dealership and took sales consultant Joseph Berretta for a ride after Walton complained that his van was having transmission problems. When Berretta told Walton he didn’t detect a problem, police allege Walton threatened Berretta.

Walton accelerated the van to speeds of 100 mph and ordered Berretta out of the van when he slowed to 20 mph on Route 315.

Laflin Police Chief Joseph Flanagan pursued Walton to the dealership where Walton allegedly set the van on fire in front of the showroom.

Flanagan initially believed Walton was armed with a 9mm handgun, and heard a series of gunshots coming from the burning van. Police said ammunition in the van ignited in the blaze.

Walton suffered minor burns to his face and sat on a bench in front of the showroom to watch the fire, the criminal complaints say.

Coccia employee Joe Davis told police that he observed the van pulling into the driveway at a high rate of speed and hitting a curb. Walton parked next to the showroom, got out of the van and leaned inside before Davis said he saw the flames.

Police said the fire endangered township firefighters and approximately 35 employees inside the showroom.

A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled on Tuesday before Malast.