Trending
Bail has been denied for the city man who was involved in an hourslong standoff with police Friday on the 400 block of Spruce Street.
Justin Alan Loomis, 39, was taken into custody and charged with felony counts of aggravated assault, risking a catastrophe and flight to avoid apprehension, along with misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, propulsion of missiles onto roadways, indecent exposure, obstruction and disorderly conduct and a summary charge of scattering rubbish.
He was arraigned Saturday morning before Magisterial District Judge Andrew L. Blattenberger and remanded to the Blair County Prison.
Bail has been denied, the docket sheet states, because "no amount of bail or combination of conditions can reasonably ensure the safety of the public."
According to court documents, police were dispatched about 10:53 a.m. to Loomis' Spruce Street residence after multiple reports were made about a naked or barely clothed male walking around and dancing on a rooftop while throwing full-size plate glass windows at passing motorists on Fourth Street.
Police found large jagged shards of window glass and small household items strewn across the 1700 block of Fourth Street, between Spruce and Beech Avenue, the report states. Police said the second-floor full-size window was missing from the east side of the home.
A victim who called 911 reported that Loomis threw a window directly in front of their car and, after throwing the window, nearly fell from the roof.
Police reported that Loomis had thrown at least two windows at passing vehicles, court documents state.
Police were unable to make contact with Loomis, but were able to see him inside the house using power tools to board up the windows with cardboard, mattresses and blankets. From the sounds coming from inside the home, police said Loomis appeared to be fortifying the residence.
During the investigation and standoff, police learned that Loomis had active warrants for failure to appear in two criminal cases -- one for felony fraud and the other for driving while DUI suspended.
In addition, police talked to Loomis' family and friends who said he struggled with mental health issues and drug abuse, namely fentanyl and methamphetamine.
His girlfriend told police that Loomis had a morbid fantasy in which he wished to die in a "suicide by cop" situation, the report stated.
When police learned that there were guns in the home, but locked away from Loomis, the area was shut down and the Tactical Response Team responded to the scene.
Negotiations were unsuccessful and after several hours, police used impact munitions and a drone in an effort to take Loomis into custody. Eventually, police used OC canisters and launched pepperball rounds.
In one last act of defiance, Loomis threw a disposable vape from the front door, after which he complied with officers' commands and was taken into custody.
About 25 responders from various departments spent about seven hours to gain Loomis' compliance without injury to anyone involved, the report states.
In a holding cell at the Altoona Police Department, Loomis continued to act erratically and again stripped naked, according to court documents.
Officers swept the house after the incident and found the firearms had remained in a locked room with no evidence Loomis had possessed any of them during the standoff.
Loomis' preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 18 before Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. DeAntonio.