Larry and Lorraine Barrile of Church Street in Limestone, N.Y., were hanging decorations on their front porch and enjoying Sunday’s warmer temperatures — until they saw a man in street clothes walk down their driveway while allegedly carrying a long gun.
The Barriles and other residents of the small community immediately called authorities as they had known the suspected gunman, Brett Bunker, 42, had recent run-ins with the law.
On Sunday, New York State Police were dispatched to a Paton Drive residence in Limestone for claims of an alleged aggravated harassment incident. A press release issued by New York State Trooper James O’Callaghan, public information officer, said when troopers arrived at the Paton Drive residence, they were unable to locate Bunker. Over the next several hours, troopers and area law enforcement from New York state and Pennsylvania, conducted a manhunt for Bunker that included orders for residents of Limestone to shelter-in-place until he was found at approximately 7:35 p.m. in the backyard of a residence off East Main Street in Bradford. That area of Bradford was canvassed by the City of Bradford Police and nearby law enforcement agencies until the suspect was apprehended. Police reported Monday that Bunker was not in possession of a weapon when he was apprehended.
Bunker was arraigned on charges of being a fugitive from justice and is being held without bail in McKean County Jail, Smethport. He is being held for extradition and charges are pending in New York state.
For the Barriles, and likely others in the community, the apprehension of Bunker was welcome news after seeing the suspect in close proximity, allegedly wielding a weapon.
“I was standing out on my front porch which is about 4 feet off the ground, when all of a sudden I see this guy walking down my driveway with a gun,” Barrile said, noting he was putting up decorations at approximately 2 p.m. with his wife. “When I saw him walking down my driveway I thought, ‘Where the hell did he come from?’’
Adding to the Barriles’ shock and concern was the gun the suspect was allegedly carrying.
“I knew who he was and it sent a chill up my spine,” Barrile admitted, noting he recognized and knew the suspect because of his 6-foot-9 frame and slim build.
“He was looking up and down the street to see if anything was coming, he never saw either one of us so we just kept perfectly quiet,” Barrile said of the suspect. “He was acting real suspicious like somebody was looking for him.”
Barrile believes Bunker ended up near his Church Street house as the suspect likely walked from the North Street area by way of a shortcut through the woods called “The Pines,” named for a big growth of pine trees that separate the two streets.
Barrile said they watched as the suspect walked from their driveway across the street and in between two neighboring houses.
Barrile said they were concerned with the suspect as they knew of recent charges against him for arson that stemmed from the burning of two vehicles in the town of Carrollton. Bunker was also charged with harassment allegations for allegedly making threats against the life and property of another person in the town. Bunker had been arraigned on the charges in the Town of Carrollton court in November and released for each of the charges on his own recognizance, with court appearances scheduled for later this month.
O’Callaghan said New York State Police have a warrant out for the suspect, whom they have not identified until they can criminally charge him — which hadn’t occurred as of early Monday.
O’Callaghan said troopers had been at the suspect’s residence looking for him in connection with an aggravated harassment complaint earlier Sunday, but he couldn’t be located.
“While they were at his residence, that’s when people … said he was walking around in yards with a rifle,” O’Callaghan said, noting the subsequent search was done of the community by troopers, other law enforcement and State Police aviation patrol.
O’Callaghan said he is appreciative of the residents of the involved communities for their help in reporting sightings of the individual.
“Right now it’s shotgun season (in New York state) so maybe it wasn’t out of the ordinary to see someone walking down the road” with a gun, he added. “But if they’re not wearing (hunter) orange and we just handled a complaint” … one should never ignore or not report suspicious individuals.
“That always brings the best result,” he said of citizen reports.
