CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man who threatened police responding to a domestic dispute at his home is going to state prison.
Peter Angus Cain Jr., 43, 77 Spruce Grove Ln., Clearfield, pleaded guilty Monday in Clearfield County Court to four counts of aggravated assault and one count of simple assault. Clearfield County President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman sentenced him to two to five years in state prison. He was fined $5 plus costs. Cain must submit toDNAtesting at a cost of $250.
Prior to sentencing, Cain explained to the court that he suffered from severe depression, and he was trying to commit suicide when the gun went off.
The charges stem from an incident in Clearfield Borough Nov. 14 when Cain threatened to shoot anyone who came near his door. Nearby residents were evacuated from the immediate area.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, around 4:46 a.m. police answered a call from a woman claiming her husband would not let her inside her residence and was threatening to shoot anyone who tried to get inside. She explained that earlier in the evening she had an argument with Cain because he wanted to drive their vehicle after he had been drinking. He then became upset and wouldn’t let her or her nephew back in the residence. She said he had a long rifle and possibly a handgun in the home.
Officers at the scene were able to see Cain holding a rifle through a kitchen window, while he was pacing and talking on his cell phone. He could be heard yelling that he “wasn’t scared to do it” and that he’d “shoot if he has to.”
When attempts to reach him on his phone failed, police parked a patrol car closer to the home and used the loud speaker to communicate with Cain. But, he continued to be aggressive and threatened to shoot anyone that came to his door. At separate times, they heard three distinct shots. Again Cain was told to put down his weapons and come outside.
Cain shouted that he had 15 rounds in the gun and wanted to know what they were going to do about it. Eventually Cain held out his hand with the barrel of a disassembled weapon shouting he didn’t have a gun because he broke it. He tossed the barrel onto the porch followed by what appeared to be the stock of a weapon. He asked if he could come outside on the porch to smoke.
After some time, Cain was led off the porch to meet with a friend who had arrived on the scene. Several minutes later, he turned to the waiting officers and said he was ready to go.
Police uncovered a .22 caliber rifle and five empty shell casings from the scene. They also found a bullet hole in a neighbor’s trailer that appeared to come from the direction of Cain’s trailer.
