Jose Cruz, the man accused of shooting at Pottsville police and State Police in the early hours of March 8, has a new court date and setting.
Cruz was scheduled to appear in District Judge Anthony Kilker’s courtroom this morning in Shenandoah.
That hearing was continued prior to this morning’s planned date.
The preliminary hearing will now be Wednesday, April 24, at 8:45 a.m. And the venue has changed, too. It’ll now be in Justice James Reiley’s office in Pottsville.
FULL CRIMINAL DOCKET ON JOSE CRUZ
Shootout on Mahantongo Street in Pottsville
Cruz faces decades in prison if guilty. He’s up on charges of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, multiple counts of aggravated assault, assault of a law enforcement officer and more.
After midnight on March 8, Pottsville police responded to reports of shots fired in the area just a door up the street from Yuengling Brewery.
Officers, joined by Pennsylvania State Police, ran into Cruz. They ordered him to drop his weapon. He then dashed across the street and into the soup kitchen yard. He withstood tasings from police and managed to fire at police. Cops returned fire and wounded Cruz.
They took him into custody, and then to a hospital for treatment.
Cruz did not post bail and is in the county lockup awaiting a hearing.
Schuylkill County District Attorney Mike O’Pake said he reviewed body cam footage of the shooting soon after it happened.
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