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WILKES-BARRE — City police arrested a man they say strangled a child and aimed a shotgun at a group of people during a drunken rage spurred by a shovel mishap.
Timothy Hall, 54, of 17 Johnson St., Wilkes-Barre, was jailed without bail at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility following his arraignment on felony assault, child endangerment and terroristic threats.
According to the criminal complaint:
Police responded to Johnson Street just before 10 p.m. Saturday on a report a man aimed a shotgun at a group of people including children.
Hall fled the area but was spotted and pursued until he stopped in a bank’s parking lot on Kidder Street where he was arrested.
Police said a paintball pump-action shotgun was on the rear seat of Hall’s vehicle. The paintball shotgun had no markers and could be mistaken as an actual shotgun, the complaint says.
After Hall was arrested, victims told police Hall became enraged when a child was struck by a shovel while yard work was being performed. Hall believed the shovel incident was on purpose rather than an accident, according to the complaint.
Hall allegedly punched and strangled the child before retrieving a shotgun.
One of the victims called their parents who showed up at Hall’s residence.
Hall was yelling while holding the shotgun and grabbing children as they walked out a door while yelling, “get off my land.”
During the incident, Hall walked across the street and aimed the shotgun at the group of people who were hurrying to get into a vehicle, the complaint says.
Police said Hall had an odor of an alcoholic beverage when he was arrested.
Hall was arraigned by District Judge Thomas Malloy of Wilkes-Barre on two counts each of aggravated assault, simple assault and endangering the welfare of children, and one count each of terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, harassment, disorderly conduct, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving with a suspended license.
Malloy jailed Hall without bail deeming him a threat to himself and the community.