Jan 17, 2020 2 min read

Hanover Township police arrested a township man Thursday after he was accused of firing gun shots in the air to threaten three people working on a cell tower on Wednesday.

Dwayne Bruce, 53, of 141 Laurel Road, faces charges of aggravated assault, prohibited possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment, simple assault, resisting arrest, trespassing, harassment and disorderly conduct.

Police were dispatched to the cell tower at 111 Laurel Drive about 11:50 a.m. Wednesday. The tower is owned by Crown Castle, a Houston, Texas based company that has a facility in Cecil Township. The workers told police that Bruce had approached them at the tower and was acting aggressively, saying they had 10 minutes to leave the property.

From the tower, the workers heard a gunshot and said they could see Bruce at his home, waving a gun in the air. They heard six shots total, according to the complaint.

While police were at the scene, Bruce drove up to them. Police said he ignored commands to show his hands, and eventually drove away from the tower.

Police pursued Bruce, and he did stop and get out of his vehicle. He was held at gunpoint until more officers arrived. He was taken into custody without incident.

According to the complaint, Bruce had an empty shell casing in his pocket. Police said Bruce is a convicted felon and not permitted to own a firearm.

There were empty beer cans in his car, and police said they could smell alcohol on his breath. He allegedly told police that “he probably had more than enough alcohol, but not enough.”

He did not have a firearm in his possession when he was taken into custody.

Bruce was placed in the Washington County jail on $300,000 bond, set by District Judge Joshua Kanalis. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Jan. 23.