Police: Clarion Man Behind Bars for Threatening Men With Gun

Aly Delp

Aly Delp

Published December 4, 2020 5:49 am
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NEW BETHLEHEM BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) — A Clarion man is in jail after he allegedly threatened two other men with a handgun in New Bethlehem late last month.

According to court documents, the New Bethlehem Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against 33-year-old Nathan Gene Watkins, of Clarion, in Magisterial District Judge Jeffrey C. Miller’s office on Tuesday, December 1.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred in New Bethlehem Borough on November 20.

According to a criminal complaint, the New Bethlehem Borough Police were dispatched to the area of Liberty Street and Broad Street on November 20 for a report of an individual having a gun pulled on them.

The complaint states two known male victims, a father and son, reported that they were getting gas at a gas station in New Bethlehem when the incident began. They reported a man, who was accompanied by a second man and a woman in a black Yukon, yelled: “Do you have a staring problem?”

The victims reported that when they left, the driver of the Yukon followed them closely, so they stopped, and the son got out of the vehicle and asked: “what the (expletive) is the problem?”

The victims told police the driver of the Yukon then got out, took out a pistol that was on his side, cocked it, and pointed it at them. The younger victim told the man to put the gun away, and they could “settle this like men,” and the driver reportedly said: “meet me up on the hill,” according to the complaint.

The victims then got back in their vehicle, obtained the license plate number from the Yukon, and called 9-1-1, while the driver of the Yukon drove away.

Police were able to obtain video footage of the incident, which showed the man from the Yukon with what appeared to be a handgun with a silver handgrip on his hip, the complaint indicates.

Police then followed up with the owner of the vehicle, a known Mayport man. When they made contact with the man, he was accompanied by a known woman and another man who matched the victims’ description and the man in the video footage, later identified as Nathan Watkins.

The vehicle owner reported he was in his Yukon with the known woman, four children, and Watkins at the gas station in question when someone in a blue Jeep “said something to him,” and he drove down behind the Jeep “to see what they wanted.” He reported the driver of the Jeep started backing up and nearly hit his vehicle, and then two males got out of the Jeep as he was trying to get his window down to see what they wanted. He reported the males were coming “aggressively” toward his vehicle, where the four children were located. He told police that “he could only go by what he was told and heard” as to why there would be a problem with the men in the Jeep, according to the complaint.

When asked if Watkins drives his vehicle, he said he does, and when asked about what guns he owns, he reported he has two, the complaint notes.

The known woman was then interviewed and reported that the two men had come around the gas station and “stared us down,” referring to herself, the known man, and Watkins. She also reported the driver of the Jeep nearly hit their Yukon, and the men then got out of the Jeep and came toward the Yukon. She said Watkins then got out “to see what the problem was.” She also noted that Watkins had her gun on his side when he got out of the vehicle. She told police she did not know what was said, but the men then got in their vehicle and left, according to the complaint.

Police contacted Watkins’ probation officer from the PA Board of Probation and Parole out of Franklin and advised him of the incident. The parole officer then provided police with GPS coordinates from Watkins’ ankle bracelet on the day of the incident, which showed that Watkins was at the location in question at the time of the incident. Further investigation also determined that Watkins is a felon who is not to possess a firearm, the complaint states.

On November 25, New Bethlehem Borough Police were granted a search warrant to take possession of the firearms registered to the known man and known woman.

The woman told police, “I know which gun it is, it’s the silver one,” and the couple retrieved the gun, a black Sig Sauer P938 handgun with silver handgrip plates, from a safe and turned it over to police. It was secured as evidence. Police also took possession of a Black Hellcat 9mm, the complaint states.

When asked how Watkins had access to it, the woman reported that he “grabs it from the top of the fridge,” the complaint indicates.

Watkins was arraigned in front of Judge Miller at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, December 2, on the following charges:

– Aggravated Assault — Attempts to cause or causes Bodily Injury with deadly weapon, Felony 2 (two counts)
– Endangering Welfare of Children — Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Felony 2 (four counts)
– Possession of Firearm Prohibited, Felony 2
– Firearms Not to Be Carried Without License, Felony 3
– Terroristic Threats With Intent to Terrorize Another, Misdemeanor 1 (two counts)
– Simple Assault, Misdemeanor 2 (two counts)
– Reckless Driving, Summary

Unable to post $5,000.00 monetary bail, he was lodged in the Clarion County Jail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. on December 8, with Judge Miller presiding.

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