Sep 17, 2014 2 min read

A Chartiers Township woman was arraigned Tuesday on charges including aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children after she allegedly had a shotgun in her backyard while children were in the area.

Sherry L. Conte, 54, of 360 Moon Road, is also charged with reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct in connection with the Aug. 23 incident.

Chartiers police were called to her home, where Conte and her 62-year-old husband, Mark Conte, were outside arguing. The responding officer tried to separate them, but she would not listen to instructions and reportedly became combative. She told police her husband “was going to tell nothing but lies.”

Sherry Conte reportedly continued to yell profanities before going onto the porch and into the house.

As her husband told police about what started the argument, the officer saw her leave the house and walk to a shed at the back of the home. The officer went onto the porch to get a better view of what she was doing. He saw her with a shotgun in her left hand and two shotgun shells in her right hand.

Officer John Hansen drew his weapon and told her to drop the gun and step away from it multiple times. Her hand kept moving closer to the trigger. She then reportedly moved her hands in an apparent attempt to load the weapon. Behind the officer were her husband and several children. She finally put the weapon down. She was taken into custody and the shotgun was secured.

Conte was arraigned before District Judge David Mark, who released her on $25,000 unsecured bond. A preliminary hearing is set for Wednesday before Mark.