A fire chief from the Woodlawn Fire Company in South Whitehall, Pennsylvania, was charged with simple assault and harassment for following a 12-year-old Boy Scout in his neighborhood, pulling a gun on him, and ordering him to the ground. The Morning Call in nearby Allentown reports that on Nov. 4, 2018, James R. Kutz, who is also a captain at the Allentown Fire Department, heard the Boy Scout putting a flyer for a food drive on his door, thought he was attempting to break in, followed him to the next house with a gun, and made him lie on the ground.
The 12-year-old’s father was in the area, having dropped the boy and another Boy Scout off to distribute flyers for the food drive, and after hearing that his son was being “ordered on the ground,” went to find out what had happened. According to the report, he couldn’t see whether the man was holding anything; after talking with Kutz for a short time, he told his son to get up.
The police say they were dispatched the same evening after a caller told them her husband was “fighting” with a man who had attempted to break into their home. The caller told the dispatcher that the suspect had raced away in an SUV.
Kutz was charged on Jan. 11, 2019 and released on $25,000 unsecured bail. Kutz’s attorney did not comment, telling reporters that he was still gathering evidence. There is no information concerning Kutz’s history with firearms or the law. His qualifications for possessing a gun should also be called into question at this point. This could have ended much worse than it already did; and it could next time, too.