JohnJohnSaidIt.com

PLYMOUTH — Charges that a Conshohocken man allegedly threatened and intimidated police with a dog to force them out of his family’s house were held at a preliminary hearing Thursday.Police came to Antonio Howard’s Wood Street home Feb. 11 to investigate a reported domestic disturbance. though his wife, Yvonne, had a blood-stained shirt, she didn’t explain how that occurred. Eventually, Howard, who was intoxicated, ordered the three officers out of the house and confronted them with the dog, described as a 100-pound mastiff, which had been penned up in the kitchen, according to court testimony.During the episode, Howard and his teenage son allegedly cursed and insulted the officers repeatedly.Howard, 40, appeared Thursday before District Justice Francis J. Bernhardt with his defense attorney Thomas Egan. though some of the charges were dismissed, the defendant faces three counts each of terroristic threats, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, and harassment, and single counts of ethnic intimidation, disorderly conduct and public drunkeness.The defendant is the brother of TV and film actor Terrence Howard.Prior to the defendant’s hearing, his 18-year-old son, Antonio Howard II, also charged with threatening and taunting police, was arraigned.Conshohocken police Sgt. John Ellam arrived at the Howard’s duplex first on Feb. 11 around 2:20 a.m., followed by Conshohocken Officer Joseph Glasgow. as Glasgow got out of his car, he reportedly heard “screaming and yelling” coming from the residence. He had been there before on another domestic disturbance call involving one of the couple’s sons.The officer testified Howard allowed him and Ellam into the home, and once inside he saw the defendant’s wife sitting in the dark in the dining room.“I went to turn the lights on, and (the 18-year-old son) hit my hand and told me to leave the lights off,” Glasgow testified. A younger son was also present.The woman was reportedly crying, looked disheveled and had blood on her shirt; when he asked if she was okay, she didn’t answer.Officers described Howard as “belligerent.” West Conshohocken Officer Matthew Evangelist, who was also in the house, testified that Howard demanded police “Get the (expletive deleted) out of my house.”When the officers didn’t leave, Evangelist, who was behind the other officers near the front door, testified the defendant then threatened, “I’ll get you the (expletive deleted) out of my house,” and the man went to the kitchen and got the dog.though Howard was holding the animal by the collar, “It was charging down the hallway,” Evangelist testified. “I was nervous.” According to testimony, the dog was barking and agitated.When questioned by Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Wallis Brooks, Glasgow admitted being “scared” by the large dog and feared it might attack him or the others.Ellam testified that at about a half-hour before the police call, he saw Howard leaving a local bar.Eventually, the three policemen left the house and went to their vehicles. about five minutes later, Howard brought the dog outside on a leash and headed directly toward the officers, then crossed the street and took the dog into Sutcliffe Park.When Howard was told dogs weren’t allowed in the park, he demanded to know why police hadn’t cited “all these white (expletive deleted)” that walk their dogs in the same park.He then allegedly yelled “(Expletive deleted) you! You’re a racist, Italian bastard” at Glasgow, according to court testimony.mrs. Howard and her two sons came outside, and both sons allegedly taunted police with profanity. Evangelist testified one son said, “I’m going to (expletive deleted) your daughters and your wives,” to officers. By this time, a total of five officers were on the scene.just before he was arrested, Howard turned the dog over to a family member, and the animal reportedly bit his wife on the hand and abdomen. A son then took the dog inside.Egan conceded his client was intoxicated and behaving badly, but emphasized he restrained the animal the entire time. and because the woman didn’t indicate she was “hurt,” police should have left the residence.“He’s drunk, he’s obnoxious and he’s belligerent,” he said, setting the scene, “but the police aren’t leaving the house.”Howard was justified in taking the “worked-up dog” for a walk after the tense confrontation, Egan argued. When he asked the judge to drop conspiracy and aggravated assault charges, Brooks protested.“I’m sorry, I find your argument ridiculous,” she said to Egan.Brooks said Howard had deliberately gotten the dog out of the kitchen to intimidate the men.“It was his intent to menace and terrorize police,” she stated.Minutes later, the judge dismissed charges of criminal conspiracy and resisting arrest and two of the five counts of aggravated assault.Howard is being held on $25,000 bail, but because he was violating probation at the time of the incident, a detainer was lodged against him. He is scheduled to be arraigned on April 6.Information from the Times Herald, www.timesherald.com

• Return to Paging Mode