Man gets prison in borough shooting

NORRISTOWN » A Pottstown man who admitted to firing gunshots at another man on a borough street during a brazen attack that stemmed from an earlier altercation has up to eight years behind bars to reflect on his conduct.

Craig Homer Whitney, 29, who has listed addresses in the 400 block of Chestnut Street and in the 300 block of North Charlotte Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to four to eight years in a state correctional facility in connection with the May 2016 shooting incident that occurred in the 400 block of Beech Street.

Judge Joseph P. Walsh said Whitney, who pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aggravated assault, also must complete two years’ probation following parole, meaning he will be under court supervision for a decade.

Whitney also must undergo drug, alcohol and mental health evaluations and must comply with all recommendations for treatment, the judge said. Whitney is prohibited from having contact with the victim.

Assistant District Attorney Benjamin McKenna

sought a lengthy state prison term against Whitney.

“He pulled out a gun, aimed it at the victim and fired five times. Luckily, the victim was able to escape without being hit,” said McKenna. “Not only is that incredibly dangerous and violent by the fact that the victim is there but this was also in a crowded neighborhood with row homes where anyone could have been hit.

“That’s obviously something that society can’t tolerate and so a state prison sentence was appropriate,” McKenna added. “We’re lucky this wasn’t a murder case.”

Court documents indicate

Whitney and the victim first encountered each other at the Gulf Gas Station at 615 E. High St. where they exchanged words, according to the criminal complaint.

“There was a confrontation and words were exchanged… and I think he was angry and could not let a perceived slight go and it kept building up in his head and he tried to resolve the issue with gunshots,” alleged McKenna, referring to Whitney.

After conducting his business at the gas station the victim got into a vehicle operated by his wife and they left the gas station, at which time they noticed Whitney following them,

according to the arrest affidavit filed by Pottstown Detective Mark Wickersham.

“The defendant followed (the victim’s vehicle) around the streets of Pottstown,” Wickerham alleged, adding the victim’s wife was able to lose Whitney but only by running stop signs.

Later, at about 7:50 p.m., when the victim and his wife traveled onto the 400 block of Beech Street, a vehicle occupied by Whitney and an unidentified male passenger also pulled onto the block. The victim got out of his vehicle while his wife drove away from the area, detectives said.

While the victim was standing on the sidewalk Whitney pulled up nearby.

The victim told detectives he observed the passenger sit back in his seat while Whitney, the driver, raised his arm.

“(The victim) saw that the driver had a gun in his hand,” alleged Wickersham, adding the victim ran east toward Washington Street as Whitney fired the gun at him. “(The victim) said after the first shot there was a brief pause, then about four more shots were fired.”

None of the bullets struck the victim, detectives said.

Citizens in the area recorded the license plate number of the car occupied by Whitney and called 911, court papers indicate. Detectives were able to use the license plate information

and video surveillance from the gas station to link Whitney to the crime, court papers indicate.

By pleading guilty to aggravated assault, Whitney, who was represented by defense lawyer Nino Tinari, admitted that he attempted to cause serious bodily injury to another person, knowingly or recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.

Other charges of stalking, simple assault and firearms not to be carried without a license will be dismissed against Whitney in exchange for the guilty plea to the aggravated assault charge, court papers indicate.