Police say Jeannette man pointed gun at coworker at Hempfield restaurant
A Jeannette man remains behind bars after state police said he pointed a gun at a coworker at a Hempfield restaurant, according to court papers.
Isaiah W. Niehenke, 18, was arrested Saturday on charges of aggravated assault, firearms not to be carried without a license, terroristic threats and related offenses.
A witness told troopers Niehenke pointed a gun at her while they were in a break room Jan. 24 around 11:30 p.m. at a Hempfield Wendy’s, according to court papers. Break room video surveillance showed him handling what appeared to be a handgun three hours earlier, police said.
Troopers searched Niehenke’s home twice and didn’t find a gun. During an interview with him Niehenke told police the incident was a joke and that he discarded the gun in a field in Jeannette after learning he had lost his job, according to court papers.
Authorities found it in a red drawstring bag on Division Street. Niehenke told police he traded five THC vape cartridges for the gun. He was denied bond. A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 6.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.