Police have filed new charges stemming from an incident in Butler Township, near Girardville, last week in which one Schuylkill County man was taken to jail and denied bail after allegedly firing a shotgun.
Charges have now been filed against Jacob Taylor, Vincent Catizone, Kenneth Jones, and William Cooney following an alleged April 8 street fight that ended with in a shotgun being fired by Zachary Catizone.
State Police say the altercation occurred at the intersection of Ogden and Julia streets. The charges follow the prior arrest of Zachary Catizone, who was previously charged in connection with the shooting and is currently in Schuylkill County Prison, being held without bail.
Police say responded to the intersection shortly after 5 p.m. for a reported domestic dispute in progress. Police say Jones, 57, of Girardville, and Taylor, 18, of Mount Carmel, engaged in a verbal argument over an ongoing issue, with Taylor claiming Jones had been stalking and harassing him. William Cooney, 18, of Shenandoah, also engaged in the verbal argument with Jones, police say.
During the dispute, Taylor admitted to punching Jones in the head twice, police say. The blows knocked Jones to the ground, causing an open, bloody wound to his left knee and swelling to the left side of his head. Jones told police he may have lost consciousness during the fall.
While the physical altercation between Jones and Taylor was occurring, police say Zachary Catizone emerged from an open garage at the rear of 401 W. Mahanoy Ave. Armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, he fired a single round toward the individuals, police say.
The shotgun blast struck Taylor, Cooney, and a female victim. Police say Taylor suffered multiple pellet wounds covering both legs, Cooney was struck by a pellet in the left side of his face, and the woman was struck in the left nostril. The blast also left indentations in the driver’s side rear door of a Subaru Crosstrek.
Zachary Catizone later told police he saw two people beating Jones and heard someone scream about a knife. He told police he retrieved the shotgun from the garage and fired one shot “directly into the ground” to stop the fight before putting the gun back in a closet. Police say Zachary Catizone never called 9-1-1.
Immediately following the gunshot, Vincent Catizone, 70, of Girardville, approached the Subaru Crosstrek, told the female victim inside to get out of the car, and removed the keys from the vehicle’s ignition, police say. He then allegedly threw the keys at the car, and they slid underneath the vehicle.
A witness recorded a video of the aftermath, which police say shows Taylor retrieving the keys from under the Subaru. As the verbal argument continued, Taylor retreated toward the open passenger door of the vehicle and repeatedly told Jones, “Come get stabbed,” while motioning for Jones to approach, police say. Taylor then reached into the vehicle, grabbed an object, and emerged from the rear of the car with his hands clenched around the object before driving away with Cooney and the female victim, police say.
When police remained on the scene to investigate the gunfire, they questioned Vincent Catizone. Police say he initially denied that anyone had fired a gun. He then changed his story, claiming he had thrown an M80 to stop the fight, police say.
After police found a plastic shotgun wad in the intersection – disproving the firework claim – Vincent Catizone admitted to firing the shotgun himself, police say. When police told him his appearance did not match witness descriptions of the shooter, he asked, “Can’t I defend someone on my own property?”
Before police placed him in handcuffs, Vincent Catizone rescinded his false confession. He told police he was only trying to protect his son and confirmed that Zachary Catizone was the actual shooter, police say.
Vincent Catizone is now facing multiple misdemeanor counts of unlawful restraint, and other misdemeanors for obstruction, theft from a vehicle, and making false reports to police.
Taylor has been charged with misdemeanor counts of making terroristic threats, simple assault, and disorderly conduct, as well as a summary count of harassment.
Jones and Cooney have each been cited for summary disorderly conduct violations.
READ MORE:
Schuylkill County Man Denied Bail After Allegedly Firing Shotgun at Three People Wednesday
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