Shooting victim charged after being struck in self-defense, troopers say

Francis Scarcella, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read

Jul. 1—A Mount Carmel woman shot in the leg early Friday morning has been charged with aggravated assault after state police say she stuck a Kulpmont woman with a floor squeegee.

Melanee Sands-Brosh, 52, of North Maple Street, faces felony aggravated assault charges, according to court documents.

State police initially responded to a shooting at a home along Fifth Street Kulpmont just after 4:30 a.m. There, police say they encountered what they believed to be the alleged shooting victim, Sands-Brosh, who was being treated for a gunshot wound to the leg, according to court documents.

Troopers got information the woman with the gun was on Pine Street. Kulpmont Borough police were able to get the woman in custody and seize a handgun, according to police.

Once Sands-Brosh was transported to Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital, she was interviewed by troopers. She said she was at the home because she wanted to retrieve her property from the residence and she had a set time to be there from the owner, police said.

The woman told troopers she had a key to the home, according to court documents.

Troopers interviewed the woman they believed was the shooter, who said she was inside the home and she heard Sands-Brosh banging and breaking windows of the residence, so she retrieved a handgun, troopers said.

The woman said she encountered Sands-Brosh who made threats to kill her while she struck the woman with a blunt object, which was later to be determined by troopers as a floor squeegee with a long handle, according to troopers.

The woman allegedly told police she fired a round from the gun in self-defense and fled from the home banging on doors to get help, troopers said.

Sands-Brosh was interviewed a second time by troopers and allegedly recanted her original account of the incident and admitted to troopers she used a blunt object to break out a kitchen window and that the owner of the home did not tell her a time to come and retrieve her items, according to police.

Sands-Brosh allegedly admitted to swinging the squeegee at the woman two to three, times, police said. Sands-Brosh said she hit the woman before she was shot in the leg, troopers said.

Sand-Brosh will appear before Mount Carmel District Judge Bill Cole at a later date.