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Jun 17, 2023

State police allege Lehigh County man threatens family with circular saw, pipe

WFMZ.com Reporter HANOVER TWP., Pa. | A Hanover Township man claiming to be a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang allegedly threatened a family with a power saw and metal pipe, according to police.

WFMZ.com Reporter

HANOVER TWP., Pa. | A Hanover Township man claiming to be a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang allegedly threatened a family with a power saw and metal pipe, according to police.

Keith P. Bartholomew faces more than three dozen charges after a June 26 run-in with a family in his neighborhood. He was arraigned days later on three sets of charges after allegedly threatening a Pennsylvania State Police trooper and flashing a handgun as police served an arrest warrant.

State police were called to a Troxell Street home in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, to take a report about alleged threats made by Bartholomew, according to the criminal complaint. As two of the victims were driving to a store, they were approached by a vehicle at Pennsylvania Avenue and Catasauqua Road. They told authorities that they recognized Bartholomew as the driver from “prior interactions” with the man that lived in the neighborhood.

The victims allege Bartholomew held up a circular saw, turned it on and threatened to cut off their hands and kill them. They drove away and reported to their family what had happened.

Later, Bartholomew drove to the victims’ home, where he allegedly began hurling racial slurs and threatened to kill the seven members of the family, according to records. He retrieved a metal pipe from his vehicle and allegedly continued to make threats and yell slurs.

He allegedly told the victims that he was a member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club and that they were now “marked” and were going to die. Authorities said cell phone footage shows Bartholomew telling the family, “I meant what I said, I’ll cut your (expletive) finger off.”

Authorities filed charges against Bartholomew, and state police were dispatched to his Pennsylvania Avenue home on Monday, when he allegedly tried to contact the victims. When police arrived at his home, Bartholomew allegedly launched into an obscenity-laced tirade against troopers. The incident was caught on video.

Bartholomew allegedly looked at the trooper who filed the charges and said, “(Expletive you), you’re dead, terroristic threats, you’re dead. You’re dead, you’re dead,” according to records.

Authorities allege Bartholomew continued to threaten the trooper, telling him, “I got where you live already you (expletive) face, you’re dead. (Expletive) you for running my life, I’ll ruin your life, (expletive). I hope you have kids and a wife, I will (expletive) ruin your life.”

Bartholomew now faces eight counts each of terroristic threats and harassment and seven counts each of simple assault reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and possessing an instrument of a crime.

Bartholomew was arraigned Wednesday on three sets of charges. Bail in one case was set at $10,000 and nominal bail was set in the other two cases. He failed to post bail and was sent to Lehigh County Jail to await preliminary hearings scheduled for Sept. 15.

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Authorities allege Keith Bartholomew had made earlier threats toward a family and state police

WFMZ.com Reporter

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