A 26-year-old Philadelphia man is facing charges after police say he brandished a handgun at another person in an upper Bucks County convenience store parking lot and then spat on a police officer as he was being placed under arrest.
Joseph William Dougherty, 26, of Philadelphia, is accused of assaulting a Montgomery Township police officer by spitting on him following an alleged gun-brandishing incident at an upper Bucks County Wawa May 19. (Credit: Crimewatch/Hilltown Township Police Department)
According to a news release from the Hilltown Township Police Department, Joseph William Dougherty was at the Wawa at 3520 Bethlehem Pike May 19 when he allegedly displayed the weapon.
Police said officers from the Montgomery Township Police Department assisted them by subsequently stopping Dougherty after he left the store, which is located off Rt. 309 near Souderton.
“After being placed under arrest, Dougherty spit on a Montgomery Township Police Officer, attempted to damage a police vehicle and made terroristic threats to do harm to Police Officer’s (sic) families,” Hilltown Police said in a Crimewatch post about the case.
According to police, two firearms were in Dougherty’s possession at the time of his arrest.
Early on the morning of May 20, Dougherty was arraigned on charges of felony assault on a law enforcement officer and misdemeanor simple assault, reckless endangerment, terroristic threats, possession of a weapon and DUI before Bucks County District Judge Lisa Gaier in Quakertown, according to police and court records.
According to the docket filed in his case, Dougherty was remanded to Bucks County Correctional Facility in lieu of 10 percent of $250,000 bail.
Records show that Dougherty posted $25,000 bail and was released from the county jail on Friday.
A preliminary hearing is currently scheduled to be held Tuesday, July 18 at 3 p.m. before District Judge Regina Armitage in New Britain.
As of Monday, May 29, the court docket did not list an attorney for Dougherty.
Note: All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This story was compiled using information from Hilltown Township Police and Bucks County court records.
