HUGHESVILLE, Pa. — Troopers say they responded to a report of a disturbance on Boak Avenue just before 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon. They say Gary McCartney barricaded himself inside his trailer, and the situation escalated from there.
“It was crazy like we got home, there were officers in our driveway suiting up with shields and guns, and then next thing I know, like they started chasing—like trotting down the road together,” said Tina Bolden, Wolf Township.
An hours-long standoff with police in Lycoming County over the weekend led to troopers fatally shooting a man near Hughesville.
State police responded to Boak Avenue in Wolf Township Saturday afternoon after they say 62-year-old Gary McCartney got into an argument with a man doing work on a nearby trailer.
Authorities say neighbors overheard the argument and confronted McCartney. That's when he allegedly pulled out a gun and started making threats. McCartney then barricaded himself inside his trailer, leading to a standoff.
Caleb Brelsford says he's lived in the neighborhood for ten years, and this is the first time anything like this has happened.
“Hearing the those—I don't know if they were flash bangs or what they were, but those going off, they were really loud, and definitely a lot of adrenaline,” said Caleb Brelsford, Wolf Township.
The Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) arrived soon after and tried to communicate with McCartney but failed. At one point, troopers say McCartney fired a gun at them, but no one was hit.
A little while later, McCartney was seen in the front window of his trailer. That's when troopers say he pointed the gun at them again. An officer then shot McCartney, killing him.
"Not something we typically see around here in this area like at all; I mean, there's little stuff going on, but nothing like this. I think everybody was just mainly scared and maybe kind of curious as to what was the problem, you know, and how it was going to be resolved, but it was definitely scary not knowing what was gonna happen or, you know, if he was gonna get out,” said Brelsford.
"For being in a rural area, you know, like, I’m sure people in the city, you know, see stuff like this all the time, but for us rural people, it was a lot of craziness,” said Bolden.
The Lycoming County Coroner says an autopsy was conducted on Monday and determined McCartney died from a single gunshot wound.
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