An Orwigsburg man who led police on a high-speed chase out of the borough and toward Berks County is now facing additional charges after he was arrested the following morning.
Matthew Armentrout, 41, was arrested a day after he led police from Schuylkill Haven on a circuitous pursuit through Orwigsburg and then eventually south on Route 61 on Feb. 24. (Read more about that pursuit and related charges here.) Armentrout waived his right to a preliminary hearing on those charges earlier this week.
Just before 5 a.m. on Feb. 25, police in Orwigsburg say they spotted Armentrout’s vehicle in a dirt lot near W. Mifflin St. and N. Walborn Ave. in the borough. As police approached his vehicle, they knocked on the driver’s side window to wake him.
Police say Armentrout woke up, looked out his window and saw police. At that time, they say Armentrout’s left hand was up and his right hand was on his lap. Armentrout was given commands to open his vehicle door. Police say he moved his hands to put down his window. When he did that, police say they saw a handgun sitting in his lap.
Seeing that on his lap, police drew a gun on him and ordered him to not move and put his hands in the air. Armentrout reportedly said, “I do not have a gun … It’s only a BB gun.”
As this confrontation was taking place, police say the gun on Armentrout’s lap fell to the floor of his vehicle. Police say they continued to give Armentrout commands to put his hands on his head. While police were attempting to unlatch his seat belt, they say he attempted to reach for that gun that had fallen to the floor.
Police say they then tried to forcefully remove Armentrout from the vehicle to separate him from the gun in the vehicle. Armentrout resisted, police say, by holding on to the steering wheel and pulling himself back into the vehicle. As this was happening, police say Armentrout continued to reach for that gun that was still on the floor of his vehicle.
Eventually, police were able to get Armentrout from the vehicle but he continued fighting with police, according to the court documents filed in this case. Armentrout continued resisting so police used a Taser multiple times to affect compliance.
With Armentrout in custody, police say they had his vehicle towed from the scene. Later that morning, police went to conduct an inventory search of the vehicle. Soon into that search, police say they halted it after finding several disposable vapes with THC labels. A search warrant was then granted and executed at about 3 p.m. that same day. Inside, a total of seven THC vapes were found, police say.
Related to this incident, police have filed a felony aggravated assault charge against Armentrout in addition to misdemeanor charges of simple assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and drug possession.
New Harassment Charges
Orwigsburg Police also filed new harassment charges against Armentrout related to his alleged actions on Feb. 19.
Just before 4 p.m., police were told to contact a local law firm in regard to interactions Armentrout had with an employee there. The employee told police that Armentrout had called to speak to his attorney to get his ex to drop charges against him.
When Armentrout was told that his lawyer was in a meeting, he reportedly became agitated and angry and said “something really bad would happen and someone would end up getting hurt.”
Just after 7 p.m. that same day, police were told to contact an employee at Signature Family Services in Pottsville. During a call with him, the employee said Armentrout became angry and began making threats.
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