Police Press Release Reveals More Info of Gunman Standoff

The Haverford Township Police Department issued a press release to the media late Saturday night that reveals more information into the .

At 2:37 p.m. Saturday, police responded to the home on 71 West Hillcrest Ave. in Havertown for a domestic incident, according to the press release, which accompanies this article. While the press release stated that the mother of Christopher Mobley—although Police Chief Carmen Pettine identified him as Charles Mobley—claimed that her son assaulted her, Pettine was more descriptive and said that she reported that he allegedly choked her while in the home.

At the time of the assault, only she and her 38-year-old son were home alone, according to the press release.

Although a resident, Nick Young, told the Haverford-Havertown Patch on Saturday afternoon at the scene that he allegedly spoke with a father whose son was in the house at the time of the alleged assault.

A few residents also mentioned that a young boy was in the home at the time of the assault and Pettine and Deputy Police Chief John Viola did confirm that there was a young boy with his mother when police first came to the house to investigate the incident. The press release does not mention a young boy.

Police approached the house to speak with Mobley and he allegedly pointed a handgun at them, according to the press release.

“Officers approached the house and upon entering they observed Mobley crouching on the first landing of the stairs, pointing a handgun at the officers. Mobley then walked down the stairs pointing the handgun to his chin,” the press release stated. “Mobley did not comply to officers verbal commands to drop the handgun and a taser was deployed. Mobley retreated to the second floor of the residence where he pointed the handgun through a second floor window at an officer while threatening to kill the officers. Officers evacuated the neighboring residents and secured the perimeter of the scene.”

For several hours the Haverford Township Special Response Team and Crisis Negotiation Team tried to contact Mobley, either by phone or a hailing system, the press release explained. When these attempts were unsuccessful, the Special Response Team went into the house and found Mobley hiding under the basement stairs while allegedly holding the handgun.

During the press conference after the standoff ended, Pettine said that Mobley when police found him in the basement, stated the press release.

Mobley was taken to the Haverford Township Police Department where he was charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats, reckless endangering another person and prohibited offensive weapons.