News
Glouster Man Pleads Not Guilty To Shooting At Police
By: Susan Tebben | The Athens Messenger
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A Glouster man who led police on a chase and allegedly fired at officers in an Oct. 7 incident pleaded innocent to felony charges Wednesday.
Matthew Arno II, 27, was arraigned in Athens County Common Pleas Court on a seven-count indictment in which he was charged with two counts of felonious assault and one count each of discharge of a firearm on or near a prohibited area, possession of a firearm while under disability, inducing panic, receiving stolen property and aggravated robbery.
Arno pleaded innocent to the charges and was placed under a $300,000 bond by Judge L. Alan Goldsberry.
The charges stem from an incident in which he was accused of shooting at Glouster police officers after they attempted to serve an unrelated arrest warrant on him, according to previous Messenger reporting.
Officers attempted to contact Arno on Summit Street, but the man fled, leading police on a pursuit that ended when he barricaded himself inside a residence on Republic Avenue. A volleyball game taking place in Trimble High School was put on lockdown during the incident.
Neighbors of the Republic Avenue house were advised by police to stay inside their homes while officers tried to talk Arno out of the residence, which was reportedly home to a female relative of his.
The two felonious assault charges were leveled based on Arno having allegedly fired at officers at least once and another occasion of just pointing the firearm at police and not firing, according to Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn.
Arno was talked out of the home by Lt. Aaron Maynard of the Athens County Sheriff's Office's Special Response Team.
The firearm was allegedly stolen as well which led to the receiving stolen property charge.
At Wednesday's arraignment, Goldsberry ordered that Arno have assessments by Health Recovery Services and Hopewell Health Center.