Plum man charged for allegedly making threats with gun during Republican committee meeting

WPXI.com News Staff
·2 min read
1

An Allegheny County man was taken into police custody and is facing several charges after allegedly making threats with a gun during a local Republican committee meeting.

Just after 8 p.m. Thursday, Plum Borough officers were dispatched to the Plum Community Center for a report of a man who had threatened three other men with a gun.

According to the complaint, the men said they were in a session of the Plum Boro Republican Committee meeting when Eric Phillip Casteel, 62, became angry and started yelling. He allegedly said, “I’ll be back,” and walked out.

Eric Casteel was taken into police custody and is facing several charges after allegedly making threats with a gun during a local Republican committee meeting.
Eric Casteel was taken into police custody and is facing several charges after allegedly making threats with a gun during a local Republican committee meeting.

Casteel ran for a seat on Allegheny County Council in 2021, according to Channel 11 news partner the Tribune-Review.

The men said they followed him outside and watched him place what appeared to be a gun in his waistband. Casteel allegedly pulled out the gun and aimed it at one of them and said, “I’ll shoot you.” When one of them said to call police, Casteel allegedly fled.

Mike Doyle was named in the criminal complaint as one of the three men Casteel allegedly threatened. Plum police confirmed it was the same Mike Doyle who ran — and lost — against Rep. Summer Lee for the 12th Congressional District and is now an Allegheny County Magisterial District Judge candidate.

Officers went to Casteel’s home along Valley Fields Drive, where Casteel told them the gun was in the trunk of his son’s car, according to the complaint. The gun, which was loaded, was confiscated, and Casteel was taken into custody, according to police.

Lisa Buckiso, vice chair of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County, just told me there were about 45 people at this committee last night. The Plum Boro Republican Committee has 42 members. Eric Casteel is an elected committee member. She said “there are rules for removal which the committee is reviewing right now.”

Casteel is facing charges of several counts each of simple assault, terroristic threats and reckless endangerment. Judge Stephens denied bond saying he poses a threat to the community.

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