A tense domestic situation in Wilkes-Barre escalated into a confrontation that led police to use both a firearm and a taser on a man with a violent criminal past. The individual, known as Shawn Adams, was involved in a late-night altercation that required immediate law enforcement intervention.
Shawn Adams, aged 56, required hospital treatment after the incident, according to a joint statement by Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce and Wilkes-Barre Police Chief Michael Boyle. The officer who discharged their weapon is now on administrative leave while the situation is under investigation.
Details of the Confrontation
Authorities report that police were called to East Beatty Street around 10 p.m. on Monday following a domestic disturbance. Adams was accused of assaulting a woman, making threats, and pointing a gun at her head.
The woman managed to escape the scene and alert police. Upon their arrival, officers encountered her outside, where she informed them Adams had two guns and had threatened her life.
Adams was reportedly uncooperative with police instructions to leave the house with his hands raised. Initially, he emerged with a gun, only to retreat back inside quickly. According to the statement, he later came out again, appearing more compliant.
“When he suddenly dropped his hands, turned from officers, and reached for his waist, one of the officers discharged his weapon, striking Adams in the arm,” the statement read.
Adams then retreated once more, visible through an upstairs window with a larger firearm in his possession. His third exit was met with a taser deployment by another officer, which subdued him, allowing for his arrest.
Adams’ Criminal Background and Legal Proceedings
Adams’ history includes a 1996 conviction for criminal homicide, related to the death of Jessie Gibson at the Airy Tavern in Wilkes-Barre. He served between nine and twenty years in state prison for that crime. In this recent case, Adams faces multiple charges, including felony counts of aggravated assault and illegal firearm possession, alongside misdemeanors like terroristic threats and simple assault.
Magisterial District Judge Thomas Malloy denied Adams bail, citing a risk to himself and the public. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 15 at 10 a.m. in Luzerne County Central Court, as per court documents. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, authorities confirmed.
