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<p>SUGARLOAF &#8212; Douglas Bitzer, who is accused of engaging in a 5-hour standoff with police, is heading to higher court to face a slew of charges.</p><p>His preliminary hearing was not uneventful, and had he had to be reminded by a district judge to face forward and away from the victim.</p><p>Bitzer, 36, appeared before Magisterial District Judge Daniel O&#8217;Donnell for a preliminary hearing on Monday. O&#8217;Donnell waived all of Bitzer&#8217;s charges from two different criminal dockets &#8212; one from a domestic incident, and the other from the alleged standoff with police &#8212; to higher court.</p><p>O&#8217;Donnell also granted assistant district attorney Angela Sperrazza&#8217;s motion to add an additional felony charge of a convicted felon having a firearm.</p><p>The prosecution had Freeland police officer Michael Racho as its only witness, who testified about the events leading up to the standoff and the standoff itself.</p><p>During testimony, Bitzer continued to looked back at a woman who appeared to be the victim. O&#8217;Donnell eventually told Bitzer to stop, which drew a reaction from a man in the court.</p><p>&#8220;This is ridiculous,&#8221; the man said loudly, which prompted O&#8217;Donnell to tell the man to calm down.</p><p>Police were dispatched to a residence in the 400 block in Freeland on March 15 for a report of a domestic dispute in progress. Racho, who responded to the scene, spoke with a woman, who alleged Bitzer struck her in the face after an argument. Racho testified that he observed recent physical injuries on the woman, including a swollen eye and a large scratch on her neck.</p><p>Racho then wrote up charges from the incident, and got a warrant for Bitzer&#8217;s arrest.</p><p>Sometime on March 16, police were dispatched to a call that Bitzer was seen on Carson Street in Freeland in a black pickup truck. According to the criminal complaint, an officer returned to the residence where the alleged domestic dispute occurred, and the victim told police that Bitzer had entered her residence at some point while she was at her mother&#8217;s.</p><p>The woman told police she came home and was in the bathroom when Bitzer entered the residence and the two began arguing about the alleged incident that happened the day before.</p><p>The woman then alleged the Bitzer lifted his jacket and retrieved a gun from his waistband, and allegedly said if she called police again, &#8220;there would be a shootout with police.&#8221;</p><p>Bitzer also allegedly told the woman if he saw her with any other man, he would &#8220;pump them full of lead.&#8221;</p><p>The woman said Bitzer was at a residence on Back Street in Freeland. The owner of the residence told police Bitzer wasn&#8217;t in the residence, but recalled seeing him in the garage of the residence.</p><p>Police went to the garage, but said it was locked. Officers reportedly heard noises from inside the garage, and the owner advised them nobody should be inside. Racho testified that the noises sounded like heavy metal objects being moved in front of the door.</p><p>Responding officers then called for backup from neighboring departments, including Butler Township, White Haven and Pennsylvania State Police. Nacho said that at the time, officers were unaware if Bitzer was armed.</p><p>After a 5-hour standoff, Bitzer was taken into custody. Racho said that during the standoff, Bitzer allegedly was texting the victim of the domestic dispute and a friend of his.</p><p>Racho also testified that Bitzer allegedly confessed to officers that he was inside the residence before the alleged standoff, and the he did have a firearm.</p><p>Racho said that the firearm has not yet been recovered.</p><p>Bitzer&#8217;s attorney Michael Kostelaba argued that there was no evidence to suggest that Bitzer was prohibited from entering the residence where the domestic dispute took place, and added that he maintained residence there. Kostelaba also sought a bail reduction, which Perrazza slammed, citing Bitzer&#8217;s criminal history and his behavior during the preliminary hearing.</p><p>Perrazza added that Bitzer&#8217;s criminal history included multiple assault offenses with convictions.</p><p>O&#8217;Donnell ultimately denied a modification to bail.</p><p>&#8220;This is just the first skirmish,&#8221; Kostelaba said of the preliminary hearing. &#8220;There will be many more battles to come.&#8221;</p><p>Perrazza declined to comment.</p><p>Along with the new firearm charge, Bitzer faces numerous charges, including aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, burglary, terroristic threats, stalking and risking catastrophe.</p><p>Bitzer is scheduled for a formal arraignment at 9 a.m. on July 8 in the Luzerne County Courthouse. He remains jail at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of a combined $1 million bail from both of the criminal complaints filed against him.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_BITZER-douglas.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Bitzer</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_BITZER-douglas.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bitzer</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_IMG_2198.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Douglas Bitzer, 36, is lead from court after his preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Daniel O&#8217;Donnell on Monday. Travis Kellar | Times Leader </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_IMG_2198.jpg</photo1><caption1>Douglas Bitzer, 36, is lead from court after his preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Daniel O&#8217;Donnell on Monday. Travis Kellar | Times Leader </caption1><photoCredit1>Travis Kellar | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Man charged after domestic dispute, standoff with police heading to higher court