Man sentenced to prison in 'reckless' Doylestown Township shooting incident
A Doylestown Township man who prompted a barricade situation after shooting at his wife last year said Tuesday that he did not remember doing it, but accepted that what had happened was "reckless" and "dangerous."
"I pray for forgiveness from anyone known and unknown who I affected," David McCausland told Judge Wallace Bateman Jr.
McCausland, 49, had consumed alcohol before firing on his wife, nearly hitting her, in their home in the 100 block of Bishops Gate Lane in Doylestown Township on Sept. 16, according to authorities. He then barricaded himself in his home, prompting a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents, before surrendering himself to police.
On Tuesday, Bateman sentenced McCausland to 1½ to three years in prison and seven years of probation. He was ordered to undergo alcohol treatment and psychiatric treatment as well.
In March, McCausland pleaded no contest to felony aggravated assault and a misdemeanor possessing an instrument of crime. His other charges, which included attempted first-degree murder, were dismissed.
During sentencing, Assistant District Attorney Brittney Kern said that the victim felt the bullet go right by her head.
"A couple inches over and we would have had a homicide," she said.
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Doylestown Township police said McCausland and his wife were arguing early the morning of Sept. 16. She went into a bathroom and held the door closed because McCausland was trying to get into the room. Police said McCausland forced the barrel of a rifle through the bathroom door, prompting his wife to run past him and go outside the home.
She went back in the home to find her dog and found McCausland asleep on the bed, charging documents state.
She woke him to ask where the dog was, and he grabbed her head and shook her back and forth, according to police. She ran outside and sat on steps to get away from him, court documents state.
Police said he then fired at her, prompting her to run to a neighbor's home for help. The incident happened just before 3 a.m.
The Central Bucks Special Response Team showed up and McCausland eventually surrendered. That morning, township police asked people to avoid the area before directing nearby residents to shelter in place. That order was lifted about an hour later.
The victim said during McCausland's sentencing that their daughter was worried that morning because she had heard there was a shelter-in-place order near their home.
"She assumed it was our house," his wife said. "And she was right."
The victim testified that McCausland was not always like this, but at some point something had changed in him.
"That night was terrifying," she said.
She said she hopes he gets the help he needs, but does not wish to have contact with him.
McCausland told the judge that he had decreased his recommended medication for mental health issues leading up to the incident, and had increased his alcohol consumption.
In the 11 months he has been in prison, he has not drank and has worked to get his problems addressed, he said.
He said he was "terribly sad" to hear how his actions affected his wife, and that he wanted to be better. Since the incident, he has had a family support system helping him.
"I know that I owe a debt to society," he said.
Bateman, in sentencing him, noted that McCausland had no prior record, but added what he did was "very serious."
McCausland was ordered to have no contact with his wife and was given credit for the time he has served in prison. He's been in Bucks County Prison on 10% of $5 million bail since his arrest.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Man gets prison for shooting at wife in Doylestown Township home
