It was just before 11 a.m. on Dec. 5 when Jared Lewis, bleeding from minor lacerations on his arms, wandered onto Lycoming College campus, claiming he had been shot, city police were told. Those with whom he came in contact became alarmed and immediately called 911, reporting that there had been a shooting. Police officers and paramedics rushed to the campus along Washington Boulevard.
However, Lewis’ report was bogus, police said, adding that the 23-year-old homeless man was injured when he smashed a decorative glass door, valued at more than $5,000, at DiSalvo’s Restaurant on East Fourth Street, just south of the campus, according to an affidavit.
As emergency responders converged on the campus, Lewis fled to a nearby convenience store, where again he falsely claimed that he had been shot and that someone was chasing him as he “staggered about” the business, alarming employees, police said.
“It appeared that Lewis was under the influence of a controlled substance,” an officer wrote in the affidavit.
When police caught up with him at the store, “Lewis had severely dilated pupils and perspiring heavily. He was disoriented and believed he was in Scranton. He stated he had already been shot by police, which he obviously had not,” the officer said.
When placed under arrest, Lewis put up so much resistance that an officer had to deploy a taser, court records stated. Following his arraignment before District Judge Aaron Biichle on charges of felony criminal mischief, felony...
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