Masontown police: Man who pulled gun claimed he was trying to stop drug deal
A Carmichaels man is behind bars for allegedly pointing a loaded gun at a group of people in Masontown Saturday and trying to break in to their house just before police arrived.
Tyler Jacob Durst, 24, ran up to Masontown police Officer Alexis Metros when she arrived at the 223 W. Church Ave. house saying that “these people were drug dealers and were going to sell his brother drugs,” she wrote in court documents.
Police were called at about 9:45 p.m. for a male that pulled a gun and punched someone in the face. Durst told the officer no one had a gun. Two women in his vehicle also denied a gun was inside. The officer found a 9-mm Ruger partially under the driver’s seat, jammed with one bullet sticking out of the side and one in the barrel, she noted in court paperwork.
Witnesses Brian Seehoffer, Brent Dinunno and Jeanette Dinunno told police Durst pulled up in front of the house, got out and “started yelling about them selling drugs,” court paperwork said.
Durst allegedly punched Brent Dinunno, took a gun from his vehicle, cocked it and pointed it in the air before pointing it at the three witnesses. They said Durst’s brother, Brian Gray, grabbed the gun.
Gray told police Durst somehow got the gun again and continued pointing it at people. He allegedly punched a glass door, shattering it and causing cuts to another man when Brent Dinunno went inside to call 911. Dinunno said Durst was trying to break into the house, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in the case.
Police said Durst was “belligerent” and “uncooperative” at the police station.
The two women in Durst’s vehicle were also detained and taken to the police station. No one else was charged in the case as of Wednesday afternoon.
Durst is charged with three counts each of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, simple assault and disorderly conduct.
He was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Michael Metros, who set bail at $50,000. Durst remains in the county lockup in lieu of bond.
He faces a preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. Oct. 25 before Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. Shimshock.