CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man accused of threatening four people with a rifle waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
Terry R. Blake faces four counts of terroristic threats, four counts of recklessly endangering another person, four counts of simple assault, harassment and stalking, four counts of disorderly conduct and public drunkeness.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Officer Mike Rowles of the Clearfield Borough Police Department was contacted on Jan. 9 to meet with Lawrence Township police for an incident that occurred in Clearfield.
The initial call came in as a man with a gun threatening to shoot a woman. He was reported to be following that woman and another woman. Officers from Lawrence Township arrived and took the man into custody. As police spoke further with the alleged victims, they learned the incident took place in the borough.
Rowles and borough Officer Nathan Curry arrived and spoke with one of the alleged victims. Initially police believed there to be one alleged victim, but after speaking with her, the total turned out to be four alleged victims. During this time Curry went to Blake’s truck and found a .270 bolt-action rifle, the allege weapon in the incident. Also located were 14 live rounds of ammunition and one spent round.
Rowles spoke with each of the alleged victims. All involved were at a local establishment in Clearfield hanging out. Blake and one of the alleged victims got into a dispute, at which time he reportedly shoved her down. He was then escorted out by a bouncer. According to the affidavit, he waited outside for the woman and when she did, he grabbed her. When asked to let go, he refused. Two men came out and were eventually able to get him to let go of the woman. She then got into a vehicle with another of the alleged victims.
When the women went to pull away, the two men, outside of the vehicle, noticed Blake approach with a rifle, working the action as if loading it. According to the affidavit, this put serious fear into the alleged victims. The women drove away and Blake reportedly went to his vehicle to pursue.
After Blake was taken into custody, officers took him to Clearfield County Jail due to his high rate of intoxication and inability to be arraigned. According to the affiavit, he wante to talk about what was going on. He was Mirandized and asked police why he was going to jail. He was told it was over the domestic incident at the establishment and for pulling his gun. He reportedly could not understand why it was such a big deal since the weapon was not loaded. Police told him that did not matter, that for all the alleged victims knew, it was loaded. He was told about how he worked the action on the gun, and said that it was not loaded.
Blake is currently in Clearfield County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.