A man who fired a shotgun blast that struck three people with pellets in Girardville on Wednesday evening has been arrested and committed to Schuylkill County Prison without bail.
The incident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. near the intersection of Ogden and Julia streets, where police were called for a domestic dispute in progress.
Zachary Catizone, 37, of the 400 block of W. Mahanoy Ave., Girardville, was charged with three counts each of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person, along with one charge of propelling an object into an occupied vehicle, according to court documents.
The charges were filed by Butler Township Police, who cover Girardville.
Catizone was arraigned Wednesday evening by District Judge Anthony Kilker, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison.
Kilker denied him bail, and Catizone is awaiting arraignment by District Judge Edward Tarantelli.
Court documents gave this account from police:
On Wednesday, Butler Township Police units were dispatched to the intersection of Ogden and Julia streets for a domestic dispute in progress.
Officers interviewed a man who said that he’d been injured after being punched by Jacob Taylor, who was at the scene with Taylor’s girlfriend, Madeline Cooney, and her cousin, William Cooney. The man was treated by EMS and taken to a local hospital for further treatment.
When speaking with Taylor, officers learned that after the fight, another man stood inside a nearby garage along the 400 block of W. Ogden Street and fired one shot from a shotgun at Taylor and both Cooneys.
Taylor showed the officer multiple pellet wounds which covered both of his legs. Madeline Cooney stated she was struck with a pellet in her left nostril. Willlam Cooney stated he was struck in the left side of his face. The officer was able to observe the wounds as described.
Taylor and William Cooney both stated that they were standing outside of a vehicle when the man fired the shot, while Madeline Cooney stated she was sitting in the front passenger seat at the time.
Pellet damage to the vehicle was visible, and wadding from a shotgun blast was lying in the intersection.
All three victims were treated at the scene by EMS but declined transportation to the hospital.
An officer interviewed Vincent Catizone, who was at the scene and denied that he had a shotgun. He then said he had thrown an M-80 firecracker to try and stop the fight, before saying that he did fire the shotgun. Before Catizone was placed in custody, though, he rescinded his statement and told the officer that his son, Zachary Catizone, had actually fired the shot, and that he was just been trying to protect his son by initially saying it was him
His son was at home with the shotgun, the elder Catizone said.
Responding units secured a perimeter around the residence, and Zachary Catizone surrendered without further incident.
Catizone told officers that he saw two people beating a man before he got a 12-gauge shotgun from the garage and fired a shot, which he described as directly into the ground.
He said that he then placed the shotgun back in the garage, where officers later found it.
Officers found that Catizone never placed a 911 call during the incident.