Schuylkill County Man Facing Charges After Allegedly Waving Pellet Gun Around at a Convenience Store Parking Lot

A Schuylkill County man is facing numerous charges after witnesses told police that he was waving a gun around in a Turkey Hill parking lot earlier this year.

Earlier this week, police filed charges against 53-year-old Meade Bailey, of Pottsville, over an incident that allegedly occurred back on the night of May 20 in Port Carbon.

At about 8 p.m., State Police were joined by officers from Pottsville and Saint Clair at a home on Pike St. That’s where Bailey had gone after the reported incident at Turkey Hill.

Initially, Bailey denied being at the Turkey Hill that night. However, interviews conducted with five people at the store that night reportedly contradict what Bailey told police.

One person told police that Bailey entered the store, grabbed some items in the store and then walked to the checkout counter and placed a handgun on it. The clerk refused to serve Bailey and he left the store.

In the parking lot, a second person confronted Bailey and asked if he was OK because he was walking around with a gun in his hand. This reportedly irritated Bailey to the point that he started yelling and waving the gun around in the air.

Three other people in the parking lot of the store then took cover behind vehicles.

At this point during the incident, everyone who interacted with or witnessed Bailey’s actions believed the gun was real and feared for their lives, police say.

During an interview with Bailey, police say he was carrying the gun at the time because he was wearing basketball shorts and had nowhere else to put it. It was at that point that Bailey admitted the weapon was a pellet gun. Police confirmed that it was, indeed, a pellet gun in Bailey’s possession.

Police have filed five counts of each of the following misdemeanor charges against Bailey: making terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, and disorderly conduct. He’s been ordered to appear before Magisterial District Judge David Plachko for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 19.

Subscribe to Coal Region Canary

Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!

Support Coal Region Canary

Like our reporting and want to support truly local news in Schuylkill County? Your small donations help. For as little as $5, your contribution will allow us to cover more news that directly affects you. Consider donating today by hitting the big yellow button below ...