GETTYSBURG, Pa. — State police have charged a Gettysburg man with attempted homicide after he allegedly fired two shots at a good Samaritan who stopped to check on him when he was found lying in the yard outside a home in Adams County, according to a criminal complaint affidavit.
William L. Knotts, 40, of the first block of Wheatland Drive, is also charged with simple assault in the incident. According to police, it occurred around 10 a.m. on Jan. 6 on Carriage Lane in Mount Pleasant Township.
Police say a man driving down the road saw Knotts lying in the yard of a home and stopped to check on his welfare.
He later told police that when he approached, Knotts told him, "You really pissed me off. I'm mad. I'm gonna kill you."
Knotts then fired two shots from a Smith & Wesson handgun in the man's direction.
Police say a nearby home surveillance camera captured the incident. A woman in a nearby home also heard the gunshots, saw Knotts leaving the scene, and contacted police.
Responding officers found Knotts near the scene and took him into custody, according to the complaint. He had the handgun in his possession, with three live rounds and three spent casings in the chamber.
Knotts is currently being held in Adams County Prison in lieu of a $150,000 bail. Court records show a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12.
