A Pottsville man is in Schuylkill County Prison after reportedly threatening to kill and then assaulting a woman Wednesday in Minersville, police said.
The suspect also threatened to kill the victim’s two children, who were eventually released unharmed, police said.
Numerous police departments responded to a home in the 500 block of Sunbury Street for a three-hour standoff that closed Route 901 for approximately three hours Wednesday into Thursday morning.
Police evacuated nearby homes during the incident.
The suspect, Michael Charles Kramer, 41, eventually surrendered to police.
Kramer is charged with felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor charges of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another person and disorderly conduct and criminal mischief in connection with the standoff, police said.
Minersville Police responded to the home on Sunbury Street after receiving a call about shots fired at 11 p.m. Wednesday.
Timeline of standoff
According to documents:
The incident started when the suspect and victim began arguing at the residence. The man struck the woman multiple times on the face and head. He then shot at her twice, with one bullet hitting a parked vehicle and the other a wall.
The female victim ran out of the residence, saying the suspect had a gun. The suspect was observed holding a gun to his head, police said.
The victim identified the 9mm gun and a magazine from the gun that the suspect used to shoot at her, twice, missing both times, police said.
Unable to post $500,000 bail as set by Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli, Frackville, Kramer remains in prison.
A preliminary hearing is set for 12:15 p.m. Aug. 5 in Magisterial District Judge David Plachko’s office, Port Carbon.
The agencies responding to the standoff were: Pottsville, Saint Clair, Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Frackville, Pennsylvania State Police, Minersville EMS and Minersville Fire Police.