City man jailed for firing gun in public
CONNELLSVILLE – A city man was jailed early Thursday after he allegedly fired a gun multiple times in a residential area. Mark W. Nicklow, 44, of 228 S. Prospect St. was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Dwight Shaner on charges of firearms not to be carried without a license, reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and violating a city ordinance that prohibits the discharge of firearms within the city limits.
According to the criminal complaint, officers were dispatched to the Prospect Street area at about 11:15 p.m. after receiving a call from county emergency 911 that a man was shooting a gun and a woman was screaming.
On arrival, police said that several witnesses reported Nicklow had walked to their location along Prospect Street, lifted his shirt and exposed a .22-cal. Ruger tucked in his shorts.
The onlookers, said police, said that Nicklow made the statement, “look what I got” and then ran north along South Prospect Street, firing the weapon three or four times.
While Nicklow told police that he had twice fired the gun into the air, witnesses reported that the shots were at eye level and in the area of several residences, according to the filed complaint.
When taken into custody, police said they found Nicklow to be in an “intoxicated state, displaying glassy, red, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and a strong smell of an alcoholic beverage on his breath and person.”
Police said that Nicklow was also found to have a crack pipe wrapped in a tissue and placed in the pocket of his shorts.
Following the arraignment hearing, Nicklow was lodged in Fayette County Prison after failing to post the $10,000 straight bond amount imposed by Shaner.
An Aug. 9 preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Ronald Haggerty has been scheduled in the matter.