Towanda man allegedly waved gun, yelled racial slurs at bar, arrested
Brian O'Keefe Kithcart, 51, of Towanda, was arrested on Sunday, March 16, on the following charges:
Aggravated assault, a grade two felony.
Possession of a prohibited firearm, a grade two felony.
Resisting arrest, a grade two misdemeanor.
Terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another, a grade one misdemeanor.
Simple assault, a grade two misdemeanor.
Simple assault, a grade two misdemeanor.
Disorderly conduct, engaging in a fight, a grade three misdemeanor.
Disorderly conduct, obscene language/gesture, a grade three misdemeanor.
Public drunkenness and similar misconduct, a summary offense.
Around midnight on March 15, Towanda Police were dispatched to a report of a man who was waving a gun around a bar on Bridge Street in the Borough, according to an affidavit.
Canisteo caregiver arrested after suspected assault on patient
As police approached the bar, they were told the suspect had left the scene. Officers noticed two people on Bridge Street away from the bar. Police spoke with the two, who were later identified as Kithcart and a woman he was with, and noted what they were wearing and sitting on the porch of an apartment.
Once at the bar, police spoke with several witnesses who provided a description of Kithcart and said he was using racial slurs while holding his gun. Police knew they were referring to the people they had just spoken with so the officers returned to the residence on Bridge Street.
Kithcart was still on the porch when police arrived with the report saying Kithcart took a metallic object from his lap and tossed it inside the apartment, making a loud thud when it hit the ground.
Kithcart was ordered to the ground by officers to which he became argumentative and tried to push police away from him when they attempted to grab him. Eventually, Kithcart was shocked with a Taser, and required even more force to get into custody as he was lying on his arms, the affidavit reports.
A female came out of the house once Kithcart was in custody and was asked about the gun. The woman showed the officers that the gun was still where Kithcart threw it when they first arrived, on the doorframe just inside the apartment.
Burdett man arrested on rape charge after reported incident involving a minor
The .380 caliber pistol was secured with the report saying the chamber was empty, but six rounds were in the magazine. It was learned later that the weapon did not belong to Kithcart, as he is unable to possess a pistol since he has felony charges on his record out of New York State.
The female told police that the two were drinking and playing pool at the bar when Kithcart kept yelling out racial slurs. When the two were asked to leave, two African Americans walked out of the bar. The woman told police Kithcart had pulled out the pistol and cocked it, but tensions settled and the two left to go back to the apartment.
Kithcart was taken to a local hospital to have the prongs removed from when he was shocked. From there he was taken for processing and denied bail at the Bradford County Correctional Facility.
Kithcart has a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 26 at 10 a.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Officer, what's your badge number?': El Paso police bodycam video shows fatal I-10 arrest
A newly-released El Paso police body camera video shows a struggle quickly intensifying, ending in the death of a man on Interstate 10. Xavier Guadalupe Hernandez, 30, was on the side of a busy I-10 freeway, apparently threatening to jump over the ledge above the Yarbrough Drive overpass, when an officer arrived on July 13 on the East Side, according to an EPPD video of the incident released on Monday, Aug. 18. Hernandez's death was deemed a homicide by the El Paso County Medical Examiner's Office. An autopsy report stated his death was caused by "asphyxia due to chest compression during law enforcement subdual and restrain" with cocaine toxicity as a "significant contributing condition." Three separate investigations by the El Paso Police Department's Crimes Against Persons Unit, Internal Affairs and the Texas Rangers of the Texas Department of Public Safety continue looking into the death, police spokesman Sgt. Robert Gomez said Monday in the 11-minute EPPD video, including body camera video. "Conclusions on whether the officer's actions are consistent with the law and department policy will not be made until all facts are known and the investigation is complete," Gomez said on the video statement. The names of the officers involved have not been disclosed. More: El Paso medical examiner rules man who died in police struggle as a homicide The body camera video begins at 10:13 a.m., showing a police officer driving up to the median and then seeing Hernandez on the other side of four freeway lanes of traffic on the edge of the overpass. Hernandez is wearing a sweaty blue T-shirt and gray shorts. He has no shoes on, only black socks and appears agitated. "Someone call 911, please," he repeatedly yells as the officer walks up to him. The officer tells him that help is here, according to the video. 'Officer, what's your badge number?' The video shows the officer telling Hernandez to sit down, but the situation intensifies when the officer attempts to grab Hernandez by his arms and Hernandez pulls away. "Officer, what's your badge number?" Hernandez repeatedly begins yelling. "Get the (expletive) down or I'm going to tase you," the officer yells, drawing his yellow Taser electric stun gun as Hernandez gets on his knees, his hands on the top of his head, the video shows. The officer orders Hernandez to lie down. He doesn't and the officer deploys the Taser as Hernandez yells, continuing to repeatedly say "Officer, what's your badge number?" The first Taser shot is at the 10:14:51 timestamp on the body camera video. There are repeated Taser shocks as a struggle continues with Hernandez still on the ground. "Get the (expletive) down!," the officer yells on the video. More: Man's death in I-10 struggle during El Paso police arrest under investigation Body camera time 10:15:51: A man in a black T-shirt and black baseball cap runs up to help the officer wrestle Hernandez, who is on his back, teeth clenched and refusing to roll over onto his stomach. "Roll over (expletive)," the officer orders. "Officer, what's your badge number?" Hernandez keeps repeating in between screams before the officer and two other men are able to pin him down on the asphalt, the video shows. The officer never tells Hernandez his badge number. Eventually, other police officers arrive and Hernandez is held down on the shoulder of the freeway. "Help me," Hernandez appears to say as he is held down as police officers discuss getting shackles to transport him in an ambulance. "Chill out," someone tells Hernandez, who has become quiet. Body camera time 10:27:23: A police sergeant is holding Hernandez facedown with another officer at his legs. Hernandez, by that time, is handcuffed behind his back. "He's not breathing, man," an officer said on the video after another officer noticed that Hernandez was not breathing and he was rolled over. A police officer begins CPR, which is then continued by a paramedic already at the scene. Hernandez was taken to nearby Del Sol Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@ and @BorundaDaniel on X. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso police bodycam video shows death of man in struggle with officer
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
Rolexes, Emeralds Stolen in $2 Million Seattle Jewelry Heist
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Four masked suspects smashed through the locked glass front door of a Seattle jeweler on Thursday, making off with roughly $2 million in diamonds, emeralds, gold and luxury watches in a 90-second smash-and-grab. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) wrote in a press release the heist took place around noon in the West Seattle Junction, a popular shopping and dining area. One of the displays the suspects smashed at Menashe & Sons Jewelers held about $700,000 to $800,000 in Rolex watches, while others had diamonds and an emerald necklace, according to the report. Menashe & Sons Jewelers said in a statement posted to Instagram on Friday that none of their customers items were stolen. Newsweek has reached out to Menashe & Sons Jewelers via email Sunday during non-working hours for more information. Why It Matters SPD described the theft as a rapid, organized operation that targeted high-value items and used threats of force to clear staff from the display areas. The latest incident underscored vulnerabilities in retail security during daytime hours and raised public safety concerns in a busy commercial corridor. What To Know Patrol officers responded at about 12 p.m. to a robbery report in the 4500 block of California Avenue Southwest and found that four masked suspects had used hammers to break the locked glass door and then shattered six display cases, according to the SPD. Police said one display case held between $700,000 and $800,000 in Rolex watches, another contained an emerald necklace valued at $125,000, along with a platinum diamond, and two other cases contained a large amount of gold jewelry. Officers reported that one suspect pointed bear spray and a Taser at employees while the others removed merchandise, but no injuries were reported, SPD said. Surveillance video later published by local news outlet KOMO showed suspects breaking into the store and quickly ransacking cases before fleeing in a getaway car that eluded officers responding to the scene. A Seattle Police Department patch is seen on an officer's uniform, July 17, 2016, in Seattle. A Seattle Police Department patch is seen on an officer's uniform, July 17, 2016, in Seattle. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File What People Are Saying Menashe & Sons Jewelers released an official statement on Instagram: "To our valued customers and community. We want to assure you that all customer jewelry and watches are safe and were not among the items taken during the recent robbery at our store. Your trust means everything to us and we are grateful to share this important news with you. As we work to assess, regroup and repair the damage done, Menashe & Sons will be closed on Friday, Saturday and Monday." Josh Menashe, vice president of Menashe & Sons Jewelers, told AP by phone Friday: "We're pretty shook up as a staff. We're gonna be closed for a while." Bret Gibson, an employee at a gym across the street, told local news outlet KIRO: "You could still hear like a lot of breaking glass and banging around and stuff, so they were in there around noon still robbing the store while everyone was on the phone calling the cops." Jim Fuda of Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound told local news outlet KOMO: "They were in for one minute and forty seconds and out the door they went with almost $2 million in equipment." What Happens Next? As of Sunday, the suspects remain at large, with no description of perpetrators of the getaway vehicle involved released. SPD said the Robbery Unit, Crime Scene Investigations Unit, and the Photo and Video Units were all processing the scene and following investigative leads. Anyone with information was urged to contact the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, with anonymous tips accepted.
New York Post
4 days ago
- New York Post
Smash-and-grab robbers steal $2M in jewelry in daytime Seattle heist that took about 90 seconds
Smash-and-grab thieves in Seattle made off with an estimated $2 million in diamonds, luxury watches, gold and other items in a daring midday jewelry store robbery that took just about 90 seconds, police said Friday. Video from the West Seattle store's surveillance cameras shows four masked suspects shattering the locked glass front door with hammers and then ransacking six display cases Thursday. Jewel thieves in Seattle, Washington, made off with approximately $2 million in diamonds, luxury watches, gold, and other items in a midday jewelry store robbery that lasted under 2 minutes. Menashe & Sons Jewelers The Rolex watches the thieves stole were worth around $750,000, along with an emerald necklace valued at $125,000, according to police. Menashe & Sons Jewelers One display held around $750,000 worth in Rolex watches, police said in a statement, and another had an emerald necklace valued at $125,000. A masked suspect threatened workers with bear spray and a Taser, police said, but no one was injured. 'We're pretty shook up as a staff,' Josh Menashe, vice president of the family-owned store, said by phone Friday. 'We're gonna be closed for a while.' Menashe said workers finished cleaning up the broken glass and were working on a full inventory of the losses. Police said they responded to the robbery but the suspects had already fled in a getaway car and eluded a search of the area.
