Police charge man in paintball attack

A former Franconia resident allegedly fired a paintball that hit a Telford woman in the neck, authorities say.

“When confronted by the victim, the defendant turned toward the victim, raised his paintball gun and fired directly at her face.” — Criminal complaint against Michael J. Brown Jr., of Glenmoore, Chester County

TELFORD >> A 39-year-old former Franconia resident is accused of crimes including aggravated assault after he allegedly fired a paintball that hit a Telford woman in the neck as she pursued him after paintball shots hit her home and broke two vehicle windows.

Michael J. Brown Jr., of Glenmoore, Chester County, the defendant, is a trained EMT and paramedic who previously worked for several area ambulance companies, including Souderton Community Ambulance Assoc., Telford Borough Police Officer Tori Adams and Detective Daniel Fox wrote in the criminal complaint. Brown also has posted YouTube videos in which he proclaimed himself to be a TCCC (tactical combat casualty care) expert and demonstrated himself practicing with weapons systems, the information said.

“When confronted by the victim, the defendant turned toward the victim, raised his paintball gun and fired directly at her face. Brown’s medical training would make him aware of the likelihood for serious bodily injury resulting from a person being shot in the face by a paintball gun,” the criminal complaint said.

During the incident, Brown also allegedly threw a pyrotechnic device that landed near the woman’s feet.

An FBI agent assisted in the investigation of the June 17 incident, according to the criminal complaint, which says the areas in which the shot was fired at the woman and where the device was thrown from are on federal property — the SoudertonTelford post office.

According to the criminal complaint:

The woman said she was sitting on the back patio of her home in the 300 block of Erie Avenue when she heard what she believed was fireworks going off about 11:09 p.m. June 17.

While looking for the source of the noise, she saw a man walking away from her back yard and ran after him. After initially continuing to walk away, he turned around, faced her and fired at her face, but she ducked and turned away and was hit in the neck and shoulder area, she said.

After stopping briefly, the woman said she continued pursuing the man as he headed toward Fourth Street, and that he removed what appeared to be night vision goggles before stopping and facing her for a second time while the two were about 10 feet apart.

The woman said she recognized him as Michael Brown, her sister-in-law’s husband.

The man then threw the exploding device, ran across Fourth Street and got into the passenger side of a white SUV, the woman said.

The woman said there have been previous incidents of Brown following the family as they walked in the neighborhood and parking in an alley staring at the woman.

A preliminary arraignment on charges of aggravated assault, stalking, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, criminal mischief and loitering and prowling at night was held July 22 before Magisterial District Judge Albert Augustine, Franconia, and Brown was taken to Montgomery County Prison with bail set at $100,000, court information shows. He was released the following day after bail was posted by a bondsman, the information shows.

In 2019, Brown pleaded no contest to summary charges of harassment and disorderly conduct and was sentenced to three months probation and a $300 fine in a plea agreement after being charged with more than 100 misdemeanor offenses. Those charges followed allegations Brown stalked and harassed a Franconia family in 2018 and that he drove his vehicle toward the vehicle of a friend of the Franconia family while there were seven children in the woman’s vehicle, stopping inches from colliding in Lower Salford.

A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but says the allegations could be proven if there was a trial.

“My client has not admitted or pleaded guilty because he is not guilty of breaking these laws. His plea of no contest today is a reflection of his desire to move forward with his life, to undo the damage to his reputation and to finally put an end to this madness,” William DeNardo, Brown’s attorney, who characterized the initial charges as a “runaway train,” said in 2019.