Police: Johnstown man tried to run down two fishermen
Jul. 27—A Johnstown man was jailed Monday after he admitted that he tried to run over two men who were fishing near a boat dock at Hinckston Run Road, authorities allege.
East Taylor Township police said Joshua Robert Laughard, 38, of the 2600 block of William Penn Avenue, faces a list of criminal charges.
According to a criminal complaint, two men said they were fishing near the boat dock on July 11 when Laughard accosted them.
Laughard allegedly used racial slurs that the two men said they ignored.
One man said he pulled his fishing poles out of the water and was walking to his Dodge pickup truck when Laughard struck him from behind, the complaint said.
The two men said they walked to the Dodge when Laughard allegedly drove his Buick into the truck. The two men ran around the other side of the truck to protect themselves when Laughard spun the Buick around, kicking up stones and drove toward them, but missed and struck the truck, the complaint said.
The Buick hit the truck three times.
One of the men retrieved a .40 caliber handgun and fired at the vehicle's tires. Laughard drove away. Police responded to Laughard's home for a reported gunshot wound.
He was taken to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown.
At the hospital, Laughard reportedly told police, "Yes, I hit the Black guy in the back with a pole, and yes, I tried to run them over," the complaint said.
Laughard was charged with three counts each of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, criminal mischief, possessing instrument of crime, reckless endangerment, simple assault and accident involving damage to attended vehicle or property.
He also was charged with two counts each of harassment and disorderly conduct.
Laughard was arraigned by on-call District Judge Michel Zungali, of Hastings, and sent to Cambria County Prison after failing to post 10% of $200,000 bond.
Patrick Buchnowski is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5061. Follow him on Twitter @PatBuchnowskiTD.
