Tunkhannock Riverside Park gun incident

[Kahr54]

Man in jail for pointing gun at Riverside Park

BY ROBERT L. BAKER
WyomingCountyPress Examiner

A Springville man faces a host of charges for allegedly pointing a handgun at another person Monday afternoon at Tunkhannock's Riverside Park.
Around 5 p.m., Tunkhannock borough police with an assist by Township police and State Police responded to a report of a fight between kids at the basketball courts which involved a weapon.
According to a police complaint, subsequent investigation revealed that Michael D. Decker, 20, of Springville was alleged to have brandished a black handgun at the park.
Police interviewed Kenneth Miller who stated that he and a group of friends were playing basketball in the park around 4:30, and that Miller acknowledged he had received a previous message from Kyle Malcom who wanted to fight with Miller because of an issue with his girlfriend.
According to the complaint, Decker appeared on the scene and insisted that Miller and Malcom shake hands.
The parties apparently got in their respective vehicles when a female passenger in Decker's vehicle "then ‘flipped' him off with the middle finger and started cursing at them."
At this point, the vehicles emptied and an altercation ensued with Decker allegedly punching Miller on the right side of the head.
Then, the police report says that Decker ran to his vehicle, reached inside and came out with a black handgun in his hand.
"Decker was observed to *** the gun by pulling back the side of the pistol," the complaint noted, and "Decker then, with his finger in the trigger, pointed the handgun right in Miller's face and told him to get back in his f---ing car."
Miller backed away at that point, and Decker got in his vehicle and left the scene. Malcom also got in his vehicle and left the scene.
After a description of Decker's vehicle, name and address were circulated by the Wyoming County Communication Center, state police at the Gibson barracks took Decker in custody at the Walker residence in Springville.
Borough police Sgt. Roger Hardy and Ptlm. Dustin Cokely subsequently arrived in Springville to question Decker.
Decker acknowledged to police that he didn't have the hand gun as it was thrown into a creek after the incident.
A search ensued involving local police and the Tunkhannock Community Ambulance Dive Squad along Bowman's Creek near Rt. 29, south of Tunkhannock.
The gun eventually was retrieved and logged as evidence. It was observed to be black in color, a PR077 model bb gun which has a metal slide mechanism and a plastic handle and appeared to look at first glance like a real hand gun, 4.5 mm bb gun.
Shortly after midnight on Tuesday morning, Decker appeared before the on-call judge, John Hovan, who read him the counts being brought against him by Tunkhannock borough police of simple assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, two counts of disorderly conduct and one count of harassment.
Bail was set at $50,000, and Decker was remanded to the Wyoming County Correctional Facility.
A preliminary hearing has been set for Friday, March 20, at 10 a.m

[Kahr54]

Stupid kid with a BB gun. Lucky he didn't get shot himself. If this is the extent of the crime wave in Tunkhannock then we could consider ourselves lucky. But with the ongoing vandalism at the park along with the graffiti and ignorant behavior of some folks it is just a matter of time before someone gets mugged or worse. I walk through this park everyday and it is a shame that more people don't use it for recreation. But with the uncouth louts making obscene noises at the basketball courts within earshot of the playground equipment, it isn't any wonder that mom's might not feel safe with their kids here.

Muldoon

[camper]

We took the kids to riverside a frew times, and that was it. We go to Springbrook instead. The traintracks being so close isn't all that bother me, I get a bad vibe from some of the teenagers I've seen hanging around there.

Tunkhannock seems pretty safe IMHO, but that doesn't mean anything unfortunately. Every now and then we get people in our development snooping around the cars to see if they're unlocked. Friend at work has a brother who's a state trooper who says that there are a lot of meth labs in our county, and a big drug problem overall...and not pot. Like taht in this whole part of the state, I'm willing to bet.

Anyway, I hope they throw the book at this kid. BB gun or not, you don't pull that crap.

camper