Police: Man arrested after firing dozens of shots, brief standoff

EAST BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A 55-year-old Washington County man has been jailed on charges that he fired 20 to 30 "warning shots" at state and township police who responded to his rural home for a report of shots being fired.

According to police, officers were called to Loren Yonkers’ East Bethlehem Township Apple Drive home about 11 p.m. Wednesday for reports of shots fired.

Investigators said Yonkers’ wife told them he was firing shots in the air as a warning to his neighbors because he was having issues with them and that he was recently robbed.

When officers showed up at the home, they said Yonkers fired 20 or 30 more shots. After a brief standoff with police, he eventually came out of the home and was arrested.

“It was a dangerous situation because of it being a residential area, so we quickly took the actor into custody,” East Bethlehem Township police officer William Dennison said.

Neighbors who live in the area were evacuated for a short time during the standoff. No injuries were reported.

Yonkers’ wife, Shirley Jones, said she thinks the entire situation is being blown out of proportion.

“He shot off a couple of shots in the forest. He wasn’t pointing at anything, and next thing I knew there were cops at my window that said, ‘Get out with your hands up,’” Jones said. “The dragged us out of bed.”

Yonkers is charged with recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia. He faces a preliminary hearing on May 23.

WPXI