Lewisburg man charged after alleged gun threat near Bull Run Tap House

A Lewisburg man faces multiple charges after police say he threatened three people near Bull Run Tap House, then fought officers trying to detain him on South Sixth Street.

Buffalo Valley Regional Police Officer Kevin Rushton was on patrol shortly before 2 a.m. on April 11 when a woman flagged him down in downtown Lewisburg. According to police, she said two men on the roof of the Bull Run Tap House had pointed a gun at her and two friends. Witnesses also told police that one of the men yelled a racial slur during the confrontation.

Police later identified one suspect as Dakota David Englehardt, 20, of Lewisburg. Investigators said Englehardt was found a short distance away crossing Market Street with a friend. When officers tried to pat him down, police said he became uncooperative and resisted as they moved to restrain and handcuff him.

Officers recovered a firearm from Englehardt’s waistband and said it was actually a BB gun officially licensed by Glock. Police described it as a realistic-looking black handgun with a fixed slide that did not move. Investigators also said Englehardt had taken the safety off the weapon, which added to the danger for the people walking nearby.

The case centers on the difference between simply having a weapon and allegedly using one to frighten people. Here, police say the issue was not just possession. They say Englehardt displayed what looked like a real pistol, pointed it at passersby, and then resisted officers after the encounter. Charges listed in the report included possession of a weapon, simple assault, evading arrest, disorderly conduct and summary purchase of alcohol by a minor.

Police also said bouncers at Bull Run Tap House reported Englehardt had shown the BB gun to one of them. Englehardt acknowledged being on the roof and said he had gotten into an altercation with two Black college students, though he told police he did not remember showing the gun.

The case was filed through the office of District Judge Jeffrey A. Rowe, and a preliminary hearing was set for May 28. If the charges move forward, the prosecution will fall under the Union County District Attorney’s Office, led by Brian Kerstetter, who oversees criminal prosecutions in the county.