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HAZLETON &#8212; City police on Monday took a West Hazleton man for a mental health evaluation and filed an arrest warrant after he reportedly made statements about wanting to carry out a mass shooting at a school.Police in a news release said on Wednesday that they charged Joel Wallace, 30, of Bator Street, with one count of terroristic threats and that he will be arraigned on the charge after his medical treatment is concluded.City police noted that they were assisted by Hazleton Area School District police, and that &#8220;at no time was any person or child in any direct danger,&#8221; adding that &#8220;all necessary steps were taken.&#8221;City police said the case is being treated as a mental health issue and that no additional information would be released.A staffer at District Judge Joseph Zola&#8217;s office on Thursday would not release the criminal complaint against Wallace because he had not yet been arraigned.Also on Wednesday, state police posted a statement on the agency Facebook page, calling it a &#8220;Clarification Regarding School Threat.&#8221;State police said they were notified by Hazleton police at about 2:20 p.m. Monday &#8220;that a male had made statements to the effect that he wanted do a mass shooting at a school prior to harming himself,&#8221; obviously referring to Wallace.A trooper accompanied city police officers to Wallace&#8217;s residence and spoke to him, and Wallace allegedly confirmed the information and accompanied the Hazleton officers to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton for a mental health evaluation. The trooper finished the assignment at 2:40 p.m., state police said.State police noted that accounts of this activity had been posted on social media pages &#8220;indicating that an individual was encountered and arrested by members of the Pennsylvania State Police near the Hazleton Area School District complex in Hazle Township.&#8221;Further information on social media suggested that a state police helicopter was involved in searching for this individual. &#8220;Again, there was no arrest or search and the helicopter was not utilized,&#8221; state police said.Additional social media posts called for witnesses to come forward to confirm an increase in police presence in and around the Hazleton Area School District complex, state police noted.&#8220;Although the Hazleton Area School District has a staff of police officers, Troopers learning of the initial comments made by (Wallace) focused their attention near the complex until confirmation was made that (Wallace) was at home and consenting to a mental health examination,&#8221; state police said.State police said they are not investigating Wallace for any wrongdoing, and that questions regarding the incident should be directed to city police.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Steve Mocarskysmocarsky@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Steve Mocarsky at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @TLSteveMocarsky.</shirttailMeta></div>

Hazleton police call threat to shoot up school a ‘mental health issue’