CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man accused of threatening another man with a wooden club and a knife during an altercation waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday during Centralized Court at the Clearfield County Jail.
Denny S. Bailey, 35, of Clearfield has been charged with terroristic threats, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. His bail has been set at $25,000 unsecured.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Sept. 22 police were dispatched to an alleged altercation on Leonard Street near the new Graystone Court facility.
Upon arrival to the scene, officers made contact with the victim, the operator of a tractor-trailer, and the passenger of pick-up truck, Bailey. The victim told an officer he was waiting on the truck, which was at a stop sign and kept him from negotiating a turn.
The victim said he motioned to the truck’s operator multiple times, but they didn’t move. He then yelled “Come on,” and the truck proceeded. The victim said he could hear Bailey yell at him, at which point he asked if there was a problem.
According to the victim, he heard the truck door close and loud yelling. When he looked in his mirror, he noticed Bailey. When he exited his tractor-trailer, the victim said he was confronted immediately by Bailey, who allegedly had a wooden club in his hand.
The victim told police Bailey began to yell and swing the club around. The victim believed he was going to get hit by the club, so he took it from Bailey’s hand and threw it in the grass.
At that point, the victim said he turned toward Bailey, who allegedly had a knife in his hand and who threatened him with it.
When a witness from Clearfield County Control intervened, Bailey put the knife away. Bailey then returned to his truck and the victim to his tractor-trailer until police arrival at the scene. The victim showed police where he threw the wooden club that allegedly belonged to Bailey.
When police interviewed Bailey about the incident, he claimed he heard the victim say “Come on [expletive]” to his girlfriend. This, he said, made him angry and to start yelling. Bailey claimed the victim got out of his tractor-trailer and continued to yell.
Bailey also claimed he got out of his truck to protect his girlfriend. He allegedly admitted to taking the club, which police were in possession of, due to the victim being much larger than him. Bailey said he feared the victim.
Bailey denied swinging the club around and claimed the victim took it and tried to hit him with it. At this point, Bailey allegedly admitted to pulling a knife out to protect himself. Police asked Bailey where the knife was, and he said on his hip.
Police subsequently asked Bailey to exit his truck, and the knife was taken from him. When police advised Bailey he shouldn’t have exited his truck with a weapon, he agreed to making a mistake and claimed he just wanted “the guy to know how mad he was.”
Police also interviewed the witness from County Control, and his story corroborated the victim’s report. The witness told police he observed Bailey, who had a club, walking along the tractor-trailer. He also observed the victim take it from Bailey and throw it into the yard.
The witness told police he then observed Bailey pull a knife out, and it was apparent that it was in a threatening manner. The witness said at that point, he stepped in and advised both to return to their vehicles until police arrived at the scene.
