Man faces trial for attempting to kill cop
A Bucks County man must answer to charges that he attempted to kill an Upper Gwynedd police officer.
“This was extremely dangerous because you had an individual who was roaming the neighborhood attempting to break into houses and then clearly showed a disregard for any rules of society by firing a firearm at a police officer.”
- Montgomery County Prosecutor Scott Frame
UPPER GWYNEDD » A Bucks County man must answer to charges in Montgomery County Court that he attempted to kill an Upper Gwynedd police officer by shooting at him as police investigated reports of a suspicious person in a township neighborhood.
Randy Root, 36, of the 2200 block of Pileggi Road, Warrington, was held for trial, after a preliminary hearing before District Court Judge Suzan Leonard, on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, recklessly endangering other persons, possessing an instrument of crime, possession of a prohibited weapon, burglary, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, simple assault and criminal trespass in connection with an August 2020 incident along Cathys Lane in Upper Gwynedd.
Root, who is represented by defense lawyer Benjamin Cooper, will remain in the county jail in lieu of $1 million bail to await trial. A trial date has not yet been scheduled.
During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Scott Frame argued evidence of Root’s actions of pointing the firearm at Upper Gwynedd Police Sergeant Raymond Royds and threatening to kill him established his intent to harm the officer.
“This was extremely dangerous because you had an individual who was roaming the neighborhood attempting to break into houses and then clearly showed a disregard for any rules of society by firing a firearm at a police officer,” Frame alleged.
No one was injured during the incident.
“We were very lucky,” said Frame, who alleged Root pointed the gun directly at Royds.
The investigation began about 12:23 p.m. Aug. 23 when Upper Gwynedd police responded to the 1300 block of East Prospect Avenue after a homeowner reported suspicious activity and a male possibly “casing” his home, according to a criminal complaint filed by Upper Gwynedd Detective Jonathan Kelcy.
Royds and Officer Minjoo Kim arrived in the area and identified Root near the intersection of East Prospect Avenue and Hancock Road. Root initially walked toward the officers but then ran from the area, authorities alleged.
As officers canvassed the area, they were flagged down by a resident who reported a male, carrying a black backpack, ran behind homes on Cathys Lane, according to the criminal complaint. Royds observed Root in the area and began a foot pursuit into a rear yard of a home in the 1400 block of Cathys Lane.
Root allegedly ran toward Royds, raised a black long gun and said, “I am going to kill you,” while using a racial epithet, according to the criminal complaint.
“Sergeant Royds turned to conceal his body and Root fired a single shot toward Sergeant Royds,” Kelcy alleged in the arrest affidavit, adding Root eventually was taken into custody at the rear of a home along Cathys Lane.
Kelcy processed the crime scene and recovered three unfired Winchester 12-gauge shot shells, a High Point Firearms .40-caliber rifle and a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun in rear yards of homes along Cathys Lane, according to the arrest affidavit.
Examination of the shotgun revealed the chamber contained a fired 12-gauge shot shell, court papers alleged.
During the investigation, a Marlyns Lane resident reported to police that two long guns – a High Point .40-caliber rifle and a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun - were stolen from his home.
In addition to Royds, Kelcy and the victim of the theft testified for Frame during the preliminary hearing.
In court papers, investigators alleged Root has a 2009 conviction for burglary and as a result is a person prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Root faces a possible mandatory sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison if he’s convicted of the felony charge of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer with a firearm.