Dec 10, 2018 2 min read

A Greene County man faces felony terroristic threats charges after state police said he threatened to kill three family members with his shotgun during a domestic dispute at his Greene Township residence Friday afternoon.

State police said Michael Edward Yoder Sr., 50, got into an argument with his family while they were at 1323 Bobtown Road shortly after noon and pointed the weapon at them, before later begging troopers to shoot him.

Yoder pointed the loaded 12-gauge shotgun at Benjamin Yoder, Melissa Yoder and Belinda Yoder and racked the weapon so a shell flew out of the chamber before telling them “I’m going to kill you all,” state police wrote in court documents.

Benjamin Yoder and Melissa Yoder left the residence in fear of their lives, police said.

When state police Trooper Shane Walton arrived, he found Michael Yoder Sr. sitting in a parked car outside the house with the shotgun. Walton said Yoder was “acting erratic and started acting in a disrespectful manner” as he asked the trooper multiple times to “just shoot me.”

“It would be easier if you guys just shot me to end this all,” Yoder told the trooper, according to court documents.

Walton then took control of the weapon, which was in the backseat of Yoder’s SUV, without incident.

Investigators said the argument began with Yoder and his son, Benjamin, as the two traded punches before Yoder hit him with a pan. Police said Yoder then gave Belinda Yoder an “ultimatum” regarding him and his son, although investigators did not elaborate. Melissa Yoder told police Yoder has a history of physically abusing his son.

In addition to the three felony counts of terroristic threats, Yoder was charged with three counts of reckless endangerment and one charge each of simple assault and harassment. He was arraigned Friday afternoon by District Judge Lee Watson and placed in Greene County jail on $50,000 cash bond to await his Dec. 18 preliminary hearing on the charges.