Shippensburg man accused of trespassing on farm with gun, evading cops denied bail
A Shippensburg man was denied bail after he was arrested following a foot pursuit for allegedly trespassing and threatening the property owner with a gun.
William P. Adkins, 49, is charged with two felony counts of criminal trespass and burglary, and misdemeanor counts of simple assault, terroristic threats, evading arrest on foot, disorderly conduct, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court records.
Magisterial District Judge Jody Eyer, Mercersburg, denied Adkins bail because "no amount of money or conditions can keep the public safe," court records show.
Adkins has been at Franklin County Jail since Tuesday.
Suspect said he was headed to Shippensburg, but walking away from it
Pennsylvania State Police responded at about 6:55 a.m. to a report of a disturbance at a farm in Southampton Township, according to court documents.
The resident said a man wearing a dark shirt and blue jeans had been in the barn and waved a gun in their direction before running out, police said.
Police searched the property and found a person matching the description of the man in the barn walking through a field, away from the farm.
The man refused the trooper's commands to stop walking. The trooper then got in a marked patrol vehicle, turned on the emergency lights and drove toward the subject, who looked back and started running through the field.
The trooper caught up to the man and detained him. He said he was walking through the field to get to Shippensburg, but the trooper noted he was walking away from Shippensburg, according to court documents.
Resident saw man on top of silo
Once Adkins was in custody, police interviewed the resident. He said he first saw Adkins on top of a "small farm silo," then he got down and went inside a barn. He said he confronted Adkins about trespassing, and Adkins allegedly pulled out a gun from a black lunch box and started waving it at him, according to court documents.
The resident said he retreated, and Adkins ran off.
Police said they did not find a gun on Adkins.
He did have a black lunchbox containing 14 grams of marijuana and two smoking devices.
Adkins' preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 7, in Franklin County Central Court, located in courtrooom 6 at the Franklin County Judicial Center.
Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Franklin County judge denies bail to trespassing suspect
