New Kensington man arrested, jailed after fight; charges pending on second man

A New Kensington man is being held in the Westmoreland County jail after a fight with another man Saturday.

Police charged Shawntre Malik Scott, 24, with a felony count of robbery and misdemeanor counts of simple assault and terroristic threats.

Police said they have identified the other man involved in the fight and said he would be arrested. In a criminal complaint against Scott, police said the other man was intoxicated and was found with two bags of suspected cocaine.

Police Chief Robert Deringer said the other man is charged with cocaine possession, but those charges had not yet appeared in the county’s court system.

According to the complaint against Scott, officers were called for a report of two men arguing and fighting along Fifth Avenue. The incident was reported at 8:17 a.m., a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said.

Deringer confirmed the incident happened near the parking lot and drive-thru of the former Citizens Bank building at the intersection of Ninth Street. The affidavit supplied with the arrest warrant for Scott states that the incident happened near Strange Roots brewery, which is down the block from the former bank, but Deringer said that is inaccurate. Deringer said the affidavit would be amended to correct the location of the incident.

The complaint states that officers found the men fighting in the street and separated and detained them.

Police said Scott was arrested for fighting. According to the complaint, Scott said the other man entered his apartment the night before and stole from him.

Police said the other man told them that Scott was trying to rob him while threatening to shoot him. The man claimed he was protecting himself from Scott, the complaint said.

In the complaint, police said a witness told them that Scott appeared to be the instigator, and that it was Scott who said he would “blow the other male’s brains out,” the complaint said.

The witness said Scott kept saying to the other man that he wanted everything he has and wanted everything he’s owed, police said. Scott prevented the other man from walking away before the fight happened, the complaint states.

Scott did not have an attorney listed in court records.

Scott was arraigned Sunday and placed in the county jail after being unable to post a $50,000 bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Oct. 6 before New Kensington District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr.