Police: Woman Pointed Shotguns at Motorists, Police on Skippack Pike

A 62-year-old Fort Washington woman was taken into custody after pointing a pair of shotguns at motorists and police on Skippack Pike last Friday, says a Whitemarsh Police report. However, the weapons were ultimately found to be unloaded.

Police say that Lynne Ann Keane, 62, of the 400 block of Skippack Pike, was walking up and down the roadway outside her residence, pointing a pair of shotguns at passing vehicles at about 2:30 p.m. One woman had been driving with her 14-year-old son, and told police that Keane stepped in front of her vehicle and leveled the shotguns at her and her son.

Keane allegedly ordered them out of the vehicle and banged a shotgun on the hood, causing the mother to begin crying in fear of both of their lives and to shove her son below the dashboard, the woman told police. When Keane moved away from the front of the vehicle, the woman was able to speed away and drove to the Whitemarsh police station.

Police say they received at least three other calls from motorists who reported that Keane had pointed the shotguns at them. When they arrived at the scene, Keane was allegedly walking on the side of the road with the two long-barrel shotguns slung over her shoulder. She ignored commands to drop the weapons, yelling back at the officers and pointing the shotguns in their direction.

Eventually, Keane turned away from the officers and dropped the weapons to the pavement as she began walking away. Police then took Keane into custody as she yelled threats at the officers. Police identified the weapons as a N.R. Davis & Sons .12-gauge, double barrel shotgun and a J.C. Higgins Model 1011 .410 shotgun, both of which were not loaded.

Keane was transported to a county facility for treatment, and was eventually arraigned before magisterial justice Francis Bernhardt, III, and charged with multiple felony counts of terroristic threats and aggravated assault, along with multiple misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and simple assault.

She remains in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail and is next scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 21 before district justice Deborah Lukens.