A Montgomery County fugitive was taken into custody Saturday morning following a shootout with police in Norristown Borough.
Mark Simpkins Jr., 29, of Norristown, has been charged with felony counts of aggravated assault on police officers, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, person not to possess a firearm, possession with intent to distribute, and related offenses, in connection with the May 21 incident. He is currently being held at county jail in lieu of $500,000 cash bail.
Police said they were on patrol around 6 a.m. when they spotted Simpkins entering the A-Plus store on Main Street. Officers recognized Simpkins — who had an active arrest warrant for an October 2021 parole violation —but when they attempted to stop him, he fled the scene on foot eastbound on West Lafayette Street according to charging documents.
As Simpkins ran into a breezeway between two residences, he allegedly fired one shot at the pursuing officers. Police returned fire, striking Simpkins in his left leg, and he was subsequently taken into custody in the rear yard of a home along the 600 block of West Lafayette Street, the report states.
Investigators said they recovered multiple baggies of cocaine from Simpkins’ pants pocket, and the gun, magazine, and a cellphone were recovered in the area where he was taken into custody. The gun had been reported as stolen during a burglary in Philadelphia in April 2021, the report states.
Simpkins was taken to Paoli Hospital for treatment of the non-life-threatening injury, police said. His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for June 2 at 11 a.m. in front of District Judge Denise Ashe.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
Montco Man Busted with 1,500 Bags of Uncut Fentanyl, Police Say
Montco Man Raped Friend’s Young Sister More Than 100 Times Over Six Year Period, Police Say
Man Accused of Shooting, Killing Pregnant Woman at Montco Gas Station Now in Custody
Montco Catholic School Principal Accused of Stealing More Than $25,000 from School
