The Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department has released the details of an incident that occurred during the early-morning hours of Feb. 22.
According to the release, police responded to a report of a suspicious male walking into traffic early Saturday morning. Upon arrival, police made contact with the suspect—later identified as 39-year-old Jonathan Fischer Sr., of Allentown—who was allegedly wielding a knife in the air.
Police attempted to speak with Fischer and ordered him to drop the knife, but Fischer refused, the release states. Fischer then ran around in the street yelling and asking police to shoot him, and at one point, he jumped onto the hood of a police vehicle, the release states.
Due to the dangerous nature of the situation and Fischer’s refusal to comply with orders, police utilized their Tasers to subdue Fischer and get him to drop the knife, police said. Fischer was then taken into custody, according to the release.
“The officers displayed tremendous restraint and resolved what could have been a deadly situation in a safe manner,” said David Duffy, Upper Gwynedd Township Police Chief. “The subject was clearly a threat to motorists on South Broad Street and the public in general.”
As a result of the incident, Fischer has been charged with one felony count of aggravated assault – fear of imminent serious bodily injury, as well as misdemeanor counts of simple assault, possessing an instrument of crime, institutional vandalism, and a summary count of criminal mischief.
Fischer was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard on Feb. 27, who set bail at $10,000 cash. Fischer was then remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post bail, and his next court appearance is a preliminary hearing in front of Judge Leonard on March 6 at 9 a.m.
(Editor’s note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause, and reflects the point of view of the police. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
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