Published Tuesday, April 20, 1999 Walter Kozen barricaded himself in his home at 317 Malleable St. with three rifles with scopes and a handgun. The 47-year-old man fired one shot at Sharon police from the attic of his home.
Police Chief Raymond C. Greene said he will talk with Sharon Regional Health System officials and Mercer County District Attorney James Epstein to determine the next step.
A warrant on charges of criminal attempt at murder and two counts of aggravated assault was issued Monday night for Kozen. Depending on his mental evaluation, he could be arraigned today, police said.
Kozen's wife, Bernadette, sat and watched from a cruiser as police surrounded her home.
"He's never done anything like this before," Mrs. Kozen said. "This is not his fault."
She said Kozen has a bipolar mental disorder, also known as manic depression, and has been off his medications for about a week.
"When I came home, unfortunately, he came to the door armed with a pistol," she said. "He wanted me to quit my job and I said, 'Wait, we need to talk about this.' "
Mrs. Kozen said her husband allowed her to leave the house with their dog.
"I told him I was going to call the police," she said, adding that he said he would kill himself.
"I've been married to him for 16 years and known him for 17, and I've never known him to behave like this."
Kozen also has other medical problems, including diabetes, she said, noting that he ran out of those medications during the weekend.
"We didn't have the money to get the medications," Mrs. Kozen said. "He's on Medicare, but he doesn't have any prescription coverage."
Greene said Kozen had not caused problems for police in the past but was agitated when his wife said she would call police.
No one was injured during the standoff. The bullet --fired from a .270-caliber rifle -- hit the trunk of a city police cruiser, which Greene and detective Sgt. Steve Ray were behind. The shot was directed at Greene who was seeking cover after seeing Kozen open the window.
Kozen was also armed with a .22-caliber rifle, a .50-caliber rifle, a .38-caliber revolver, several knives and an ax, Greene said. He had ammunition for each of the weapons.
"In any room in the downstairs, he had a weapon," Greene said.
Retired Roman Catholic Monsignor Salvatore P. Mitchell and Kozen's psychiatrist, Dr. William Goodpastor, tried unsuccessfully to talk Kozen out of the house. Kozen also did not respond to phone calls or contact through a loud speaker.
During the confrontation, police evacuated neighbors from the surrounding homes. Many were on their porches watching the events unfold. As police tried to keep the onlookers inside their homes, the residents peeked through curtains to watch the action. A crowd gathered at New Castle Avenue and Malleable Street.
After the shot was fired, Greene said, police called state police and their Special Emergency Response Team.
"We gathered his medical history and contacted his doctor and minister," Greene said. "After he wouldn't respond to us and he fired the shot, we, with the state police, decided to activate the SERT team."
More than 20 heavily armed men from Erie, Pittsburgh and Butler, dressed in camouflage, secured an area around the house. The team used special radio equipment to establish contact with Kozen, Greene said.
Kozen had inadvertently locked behind himself in the attic, Greene said, adding that he "couldn't have come out if he had wanted to."
"After awhile he said he wanted to come out," Greene said. "The SERT team told him to place his hands outside the attic window while other members of the team went inside to apprehend him."
Kozen surrendered at about 10:45 p.m.
"He said if he could get his medications he would come out," Greene said. "He was very agitated and his medications seemed to be his biggest concern."
The medicine was delivered from Sharon Regional.
Hermitage and Southwest Mercer County Regional police and Sharon firefighters assisted.
