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Man faces felony for alleged threat, shots

GREEN TOWNSHIP – Goshen police arrested a Beaver Creek Road resident after he allegedly pointed a loaded handgun at a bank employee delivering mortgage papers over the weekend.

Scott B. Rockwell, 50, 13205 Beaver Creek Road, Salem, was arrested for felonious assault, a second-degree felony, after officers responded to his home at 12:28 p.m. Saturday where he had allegedly fired three shots from a 9-mm into the ground before pointing it at James K. Gardella, 43, Salem, and warning him to leave his property.

According to the report by responding officer John Calko, Gardella said he attempted to hang the papers on the front door of Rockwell’s home when he heard the three shots. He said that upon backing away from the home he heard Rockwell yell at him to leave and then followed him to his vehicle while pointing the gun at him before picking up rocks from the driveway and throwing them toward the vehicle.

When Calko arrived at the scene, the officer said he approached the front door and told Rockwell’s live-in girlfriend, Julie Bailey, 40, to tell Rockwell to come out. Rockwell then came out from the side of the house.

Rockwell told the officer Gardella had been repeatedly trying to serve him the papers during the past few weeks and that he was tired of him being on the property.

Both Rockwell and Bailey claimed Gardella entered the driveway recklessly, almost striking two dogs.

Rockwell admitted during a statement to Detective Kevin Stratton that he fired three shots into a hill on the property as a warning and claimed that he may have pointed the gun at Gardella while moving his arm back.

Calko recovered the gun that had been fired and removed five rounds from the magazine and one from the tube. He also seized an MP15 .223 rifle and an FIE .22 revolver.

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