A Mt. Pleasant Township man remains in jail after authorities said he threatened to “blow everyone up” and bring a rifle to a local bank.
Harold E. Thomas, 67, is charged with making terroristic threats following a Thursday morning standoff at Key Bank in Mt. Pleasant Borough, according to court documents.
The incident began around 8:40 a.m. when a bank employee called police to report a man blocking the parking lot entrance. The employee told officers the man was honking his horn and yelling at staff.
Thomas told borough officers he was protesting the bank because employees refused to let him withdraw money. He also refused to move his vehicle until police asked him several times, the criminal complaint said.
The bank manager told police that Thomas called the branch multiple times Wednesday and also threatened to bring a rifle to the location. These threats forced the manager to lock down the building and restrict business to the drive-thru for the remainder of the day.
When officers asked Thomas if he was armed, he claimed to have multiple chainsaws in his trunk but stayed silent regarding his other intentions.
The situation escalated when an officer suggested Thomas admit himself to a psychiatric hospital.
“If you commit me, then I’m bringing the whole mountain down on top of you,” Thomas told the officer, according to the complaint.
Police said Thomas vowed to harm the officer and “block off every entrance and exit into this town.” While officers took him to a patrol car, Thomas also threatened to have friends dig up gas and water lines “to blow everyone up” and “to poison the water like they did in the war.”
Thomas remains in the Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post $25,000 bail. Court records do not list an attorney.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. March 25 before District Judge Scott Fanchalsky.