MARLBOROUGH TOWNSHIP — An Upper Hanover Township man is accused of firing gunshots at police and a civilian during an incident that began in Upper Montgomery County and ended with a chase into Bucks County and a two-hour standoff with SWAT officers before he peacefully surrendered.
Charles Joseph Bowne III, 35, of the 2000 block of Morgan Hill Drive, was arraigned on Thursday, before District Court Judge Katherine E. McGill, on charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, assault of a law enforcement officer, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault and possessing an instrument of crime in connection with the alleged June 11 incident.
McGill denied bail, citing Bowne’s alleged danger to the community, and Bowne was remanded to the county jail to await a June 13 bail review hearing.
Bowne faces a June 23 preliminary hearing on the charges before District Court Judge Maureen C. Coggins.
Court records do not indicate if Bowne has obtained legal representation.
The investigation began at about 11:57 a.m. June 11, when authorities received a 911 call regarding shots fired in the 1700 block of Swamp Creek Road in Marlborough Township, according to a criminal complaint filed by Montgomery County Detective Lieutenant Kathleen Kelly.
A male witness told detectives that he was riding his bicycle at Swamp Creek and Camp roads when he passed a Ford Mustang that was parked along the road and the person seated in the driver’s seat, later identified as Bowne, yelled “Go home to your family,” according to the arrest affidavit.
The bicyclist took a photo of the license plate of the Mustang and then observed Bowne holding a revolver.
“(The victim) said Bowne pointed the revolver at him and ordered him to surrender his cellphone and to drop his bicycle. (The victim) complied, then turned around and ran up Swamp Creek Road away from Bowne. (The victim) said he heard Bowne shouting at him and 5 to 6 rounds being fired,” Kelly alleged in the criminal complaint, adding the victim observed Bowne then drive away.
The victim flagged down a passing motorist to call 911 for him.
A Marlborough Township police officer responding to the 911 call observed the Mustang vehicle pulled off to the side of Swamp Creek Road, pulled his patrol vehicle behind the Mustang and “as he was about to open the car door he saw Bowne point a firearm at him from the Mustang’s driver’s side window and begin to fire,” according to the arrest affidavit.
The officer ducked down in his patrol car until he heard the gunfire stop and then observed the Mustang drive away at a slow rate of speed. As Bowne turned left onto Whites Mill Road, he allegedly pointed a firearm directly at the officer and fired additional rounds at him, detectives alleged.
Bowne allegedly traveled on Whites Mill Road, crossed Allentown Road and stopped in the 1800 block of Ridge Road in West Rockhill Township, Bucks County, at 12:13 p.m., “all while firing shots” at the police officer and his vehicle during the route of travel.
Officers from Marlborough, Lower Salford, Franconia, Hatfield, Montgomery and Towamencin townships and East Greenville, Upper Perkiomen, and Telford in Montgomery County and the Pennridge Regional Police Department and the Central Bucks Special Response Team from Bucks County and Pennsylvania State Police responded to the 1800 block of Ridge Road.
“Bowne fired additional rounds at responding officers. A crisis negotiator was able to make contact with Bowne by telephone and Bowne was taken into custody peacefully at 2:42 p.m.,” Kelly alleged.
No one was injured during the alleged incident, according to authorities.
After he was taken into custody, Bowne was transported to the Marlborough Township Police Department and did not want to talk to county detectives about the incident, according to court papers.
When police searched Bowne’s vehicle, they seized three firearms, including a Ruger .44-caliber Magnum, a Century Arms pistol, and a Ruger 22 long rifle, according to court documents.
