PUNXSUTAWNEY BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – A Punxsutawney man is facing charges for allegedly pointing a gun at a woman in a church parking lot.
According to court documents, the Punxsutawney Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against 28-year-old Blake Robert Poole, of Punxsutawney, in Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock’s office on Friday, January 13.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred around 11:30 p.m. on November 26, 2022, in a church parking lot located on West Mahoning Street, in Punxsutawney, Jefferson County, involving Blake Poole and a known female victim.
According to a criminal complaint, on Saturday, November 26, Punxsutawney Borough Police received a call from a known female victim who stated that Blake Poole pointed a gun at her in the Saints Cosmos & Damian Church (SCDC) parking lot on West Mahoning Street, in Punxsutawney, Jefferson County,
The victim stated that she was at a bar in Punxsutawney when a known female called her saying that she was talking to Blake Poole and needed her. The victim said that she didn’t drive there and asked someone to take her because she was very intoxicated, according to the complaint.
When the female victim and the driver of the car arrived at SCDC, the known female (who had contacted the female victim) was talking to Poole through the passenger side window. The victim explained that she exited the vehicle and started to walk toward Poole’s car. As she approached Poole, he turned in the vehicle with his back to the passenger side door and pointed a black handgun at her, the complaint indicates.
According to the complaint, the female victim reportedly said, “Are you going to (expletive) shoot me or what?”
The victim reported that Poole didn’t say anything and drove off. The victim said she and the driver of her vehicle left. Then, they followed the known female to the park and ride just to make sure Poole was not following them, the complaint notes.
Officers spoke to the known female on December 1. She reported that she and Poole have a child together and that she called her friend (the victim) to meet her. The female said she usually doesn’t contact Poole, but she said he always finds out when she’s in town and blows her phone up, the complaint states.
The female said she “just wanted to avoid that, so she called him.” She further stated that Poole was waiting for her in the SCDC parking lot when she got there. She stated that she was talking to Poole through his passenger’s side window for a few seconds when the female victim pulled in.
The known female said she saw Poole pull a gun out from his right side, and she immediately turned around and walked back to her boyfriend’s vehicle, the complaint indicates.
Poole was interviewed at the Punxsutawney Police Station on December 29. He was read his Miranda warning, and he agreed to talk, the complaint notes.
Poole stated he got a call from the mother of his child. He stated that she called him and asked him if he would meet her in the SSCD parking lot. He said that he would, the complaint continues.
According to the complaint, Poole reported that while he was sitting in his car talking to the known female, the female victim and the driver showed up and “other people that he didn’t know.” Poole stated that there were six to eight people in total there and that the unknown people were surrounding his car and beating on the hood. He claimed that he raised an empty gun holster up to the driver’s window and told the known female victim to “(expletive) off.”
On January 3, 2023, Blake Poole’s Attorney, Justin Ketchel, made contact with police after officers explained to Poole the need for the names of the people that were surrounding his car on the night in question, the complaint states.
On January 4, 2023, Punxsutawney Police received an email from Attorney Ketchel that stated Poole does not have any additional information to share outside of what he’s already said, the complaint indicates.
According to the complaint, the officer then emailed Blake Poole’s attorney and told him that without any names of the people surrounding his car, they would be filing charges.
Subsequently, the following charges were filed against Poole on January 13, 2023:
– Terroristic Threats with Intent to Terrorize Another, Misdemeanor 1
– Disorderly Conduct, Summary
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, February 10, at 9:45 a.m. with Judge Mizerock presiding.
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