A Schuylkill County man wanted on felony robbery and gun charges was taken into custody by police following a foot chase.
Police in Pottsville say they were on a plainclothes assignment shortly before 2 a.m. in the 300 block of S. Centre St. on Sept. 20 when they saw Vickens Stimphont, 32, getting out of a vehicle.
Stimphont – who police say goes by the name “Spaz” – was wanted on a warrant previously issued by Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli related to an alleged robbery incident in the city earlier that month.
When police saw Stimphont walking toward a residence, they called out to him and told him to stay where he was. Stimphont, they say, ignored that command and took off on foot, running northbound on S. Centre St. Officers say they gave chase as Stimphont then turned eastbound on Union St.
On Union St., another police unit was in the area and was able to detain Stimphont without incident.
He was arraigned on the charges that prompted the warrant for his arrest and is currently detained at Schuylkill County Prison. He’s now facing an additional charge for evading arrest on foot. Stimphont is also being held on a simply assault charge related to an incident on Sept. 1 and for a harassment charge on a separate incident last month.
As for the incident that drew the warrant, police say Stimphont jumped a man with two friends on Sept. 12 in Pottsville, threatened to shoot him and stole his iPhone.
Officers called to the 700 block of W. Norwegian St. shortly after 4 p.m. that day found the victim bleeding from his forehead. The victim told police he and Stimphont had been “beefing” online over a friend. He said the two fought near N. 8th and W. Arch streets before Stimphont ran off.
Minutes later, the victim said, Stimphont and two other men pulled up in a gray sedan as he walked south on N. 8th St. The victim was carrying a knife, and Stimphont warned him he would shoot him if he pulled it out, police say. All three men then beat him and drove off.
A neighbor sitting in a nearby car told police they saw several men punching, kicking and hitting the victim with an unknown object, and heard someone yell to “pop” and “shoot” him.
Police identified Stimphont from the victim’s description and records from earlier calls. Police say he isn’t legally allowed to have a gun.
Stimphont is charged with felony robbery and firearms offenses, along with misdemeanor theft, receiving stolen property, terroristic threats and assault.
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