A Minersville man is in jail on $50,000 bail after police say he led them on a foot pursuit along Route 901 and unlawfully possessed a handgun stolen from police in Cleveland, Ohio.
Elree Williams Jr., 45, was charged on June 21 with felony counts of prohibited possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property, carrying a firearm without a license and flight to avoid apprehension, and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.
According to the affidavit, Minersville Borough Police responded to a reported disturbance of a man with a firearm on Westwood Street shortly before 10 p.m.
Upon arriving at the scene, police were told the man, Williams, was headed south towards Pottsville on a bicycle. Police allegedly observed Williams biking near King’s Village Plaza and verbally requested that he stop multiple times, to which Williams refused.
Williams allegedly continued down Route 901 into oncoming traffic, collided with a stopped vehicle and began to flee on foot.
Police followed Williams as he fled towards the Water Junction filling station. While fleeing, Williams retrieved a firearm from his waistband which he threw over the filling station. Police apprehended Williams and, after some resistance, managed to handcuff him and take him into custody.
The gun was recovered from the median of Route 901 and found be to be reported stolen from Cleveland.
Williams allegedly told police that he threw the firearm because he knew he was not permitted to be in possession of it due to a felony conviction in 1999.
Williams is currently in Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for June 30 before Magisterial District Judge Edward Lewis.