A Schuylkill County man is facing assault and harassment charges after he allegedly threatened to kill a family member because they were giving him a hard time about his dog.
Police say they responded to a home in North Union Township on the night of Nov. 23 for a reported domestic dispute.
At the scene, police say they spoke with a woman who said her nephew had been living with her since July. The nephew – identified as Anthony Cole – also brought his dog with him when he moved in with his aunt.
The aunt said that in the time Cole lived with her, his dog bit her children multiple times. That night, she said she addressed the issue with Cole and that led to a verbal argument.
Cole was reportedly yelling from the kitchen while his aunt took her children outside to get away from him. After going outside, the victim reported that Cole grabbed a kitchen knife, pointed it at her and threatened to kill her.
Police say Cole told a different story of what happened. He reportedly said that he got made when his grandmother gave his dog a Benadryl and thought it would harm the animal. That’s when his aunt got on his case about the dog and it caused him to “flip out.”
Cole reportedly admitted to grabbing the kitchen knife but denied threatening to kill his aunt.
Cole was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Stephen Bayer and charged with simple assault and harassment. Bayer set bail at $10,000 unsecured.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled before Judge Edward Tarantelli on Dec. 10.
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