Allegheny County Police are discussing with District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. whether to file charges against a gunman whose suicide threat led to a police standoff that closed busy Greentree Road for several hours.
Nathan A. Cole, 20, of Green Tree is being held in County Jail under $25,000 straight bond while he awaits a June 19 preliminary hearing on a rape charge that sparked Tuesday's standoff that lasted more than four hours.
The standoff began shortly before 1 p.m. when Green Tree and county officers arrived in Cole's basement apartment in the State Farm Building to serve him with a warrant.
The officers backed off after finding him sitting in a chair with a shotgun pointed at himself. Negotiators eventually convinced Cole to surrender.
The charges of rape, unlawful restraint and sexual assault were filed that morning after Cole's former girlfriend, who is 17, told officers he attacked her when she went to visit him.
According to a criminal complaint, the girl told officers she went to his apartment about 2 a.m. at his request because he said he was depressed. She said she tried to leave shortly before 5 a.m. and he told her "if she did not make closure, that he would kill himself."
She said he pinned her on the bed, pulled off her pajamas despite her protests and assaulted her. He then allowed her to get dressed and leave.
Cole was arraigned in Night Court. His hearing is scheduled before District Justice Gary M. Zyra in Scott.
