Homeless man accused of threatening police
A homeless man was in Washington County Jail facing several charges after he allegedly called both 911 and state police Saturday night, threatening to harm a Washington police officer who had arrested him earlier in the day.
George Cox, 53, also is accused of threatening the officers who took him into custody for the threats and then struggling with them as they tried to place him in the police car.
Police said the 911 center and state police began getting calls from Cox about 8 p.m. He reportedly was being hostile with the call takers, complaining about being arrested earlier in the day. He had been charged with open lewdness and disorderly conduct after he allegedly urinated in an alley behind a business in the 700 block of West Chestnut Street, in an area where he could be seen by children.
Later, Cox allegedly was threatening the officer who charged him, telling dispatchers that he would be waiting for him and would break his back. Police learned from other police agencies that Cox allegedly had threatened to assault and shoot police officers in the past.
While Cox would not tell the dispatchers where he was, they were able to trace his location to the area of the 700 block of Bassett Alley. Police said they found him on the upper, rear porch of a home in the 600 block of West Chestnut Street after Cox allegedly told the dispatchers he could see the officers from a window. He reportedly was hiding on the floor and had several open beer cans around him, with two more large cans of beer in a bag.
Cox allegedly struggled with police as they tried to handcuff him, get him down the stairs and into the cruiser. Once at the station, police said he started spitting, and officers put a spit shield on his face.
Cox is in Washington County Jail on a probation detainer. He will be arraigned on charges of making terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and public drunkenness. Charges of open lewdness and disorderly conduct also will be filed at the office of District Judge Robert Redlinger for the alleged incident in the West End.