Council: Stockertown Police Did a "Fine Job"

“Our police department did a very fine job,” said A. Joseph Gosnell, a Stockertown Borough Council member, at Monday night's meeting.

Councilman Carl Zito echoed Gosnell, thanking the department for "a job well done."

The council members were referring Main Street incident that began with a report of a DUI at 2 a.m. Sunday followed by a 3 a.m. report of a possible “dirty” bomb, which can contain explosives and radiological materials, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

According to police chief John Soloe, the man was an unwanted guest and a resident wanted him removed.

“Through information from the control center, information from the suspect and information from visual observation within the vehicle, [it turned into concern],” Soloe said. “That concern [was] not taken lightly.”

Soloe was out of town during the incident, but assured his officers to stick to their training, he said after the meeting.

Reports from the Breaking News Network around 4 a.m. said a suspect allegedly began aiming a "large-caliber gun with a radiological symbol on it" at cars and that the suspect may have "prior operative experience." Police and emergency units limited their radio communication because the suspect reportedly had multiple radios in his possession. 

Traffic from Main Street and Route 33 was detoured for several hours. Residents from a few homes in the 600 block of Main Street were evacuated to town hall, where councilman Paul Zaboy stayed with them and tried to stay in contact with police.

While council praised the borough police department's performance, Zaboy requested dedicated phones to emergency personnel be given to all council members in order for them to stay informed as an incident such as Sunday's unfolds.

Although multiple investigative departments descended upon Stockertown -- including the State Police, the FBI, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the state Department of Environmental Protection, and multiple police departments -- “there was no real threat to the safety of the residents," according to Soloe.

The man at the center of the incident, according to published reports, was Robert Perry, no address given.  He was taken into custody and placed under observation for mental health concerns. He has since been released.

Soloe said the man does not live in Northampton County, but confirmed that he is a Pennsylvania resident.

Charges have yet to be determined, Soloe said. The various departments that responded to the incident and the district attorney will meet in the near future to discuss whether charges will be filed against Perry, according to Soloe.

The last time an incident of this caliber occurred in Stockertown was six years ago.

Bank robbers fled Forks Township and hid in the borough, Soloe said. Mayor Sherman Metzgar added that one of the men hid under the porch of a house two doors down from his home.