A Pottsville man is locked up in Schuylkill County Prison after an incident where he threatened his family and police and barricaded himself in a bedroom.
On Sunday, June 9th, 2024, Pottsville Police responded to 309 Schuylkill Avenue, where 51-year-old Donald "Archie" Wrona was allegedly under the influence of a controlled substance, threatened to assault multiple people.
Officers were initially dispatched following reports that Wrona was "out of control" and fighting with his mother. Upon arrival, officers spoke with a woman and her boyfriend. The woman reported that her son, Donald, had been threatening to kick her dog and subsequently escalated to making threats to kill himself while throwing chairs around the house. Fearing for her safety, she grabbed her small dog as Donald, wielding a broom, threatened to kill her and threw the broom at her.
As police arrived, Wrona appeared at a window, pointed directly at Pottsville Detective Krammes, and threatened to kill him. Wrona then locked all the doors and retreated to his upstairs bedroom on the northeast side of the residence, continuing to yell out the window.
Additional officers from St. Clair and Minersville Police Departments arrived to assist. They gained entry to the house through a rear second-floor window and discovered that Wrona had barricaded the second-floor hallway and his bedroom door.
Officers eventually breached the barricades and confronted Wrona, who continued to argue and make threats while holding a small bat. Wrona put down the bat and was taken into custody, though he continued to resist and make threats during his arrest.
Patrol Officer Tina Sullivan filed a criminal complaint requesting a warrant for Wrona on multiple charges, including three counts of terroristic threats, one of which is pursuant to Title 18, Section 2711, related to domestic violence, all graded as misdemeanors (M1). He also faces three counts of harassment, graded as misdemeanors (M3).
Wrona was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley and was remanded to Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $20,000 cash bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 8th, 2024 before Judge Reiley.