Charles Bowne III, of Pennsburg (Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney's Office) Kelly, Kathleen
An Upper Hanover Township man is facing a long list of felony charges, including two counts of attempted murder, five counts of aggravated assault, and assault of a law enforcement officer, following a violent and chaotic incident that began with an armed robbery in Marlborough Township and ended in a tense standoff in Bucks County.
On Thursday, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Marlborough Police Chief Darren Morgan announced the arrest of Charles Joseph Bowne III, 35, of the 2000 block of Morgan Hill Drive, who is accused of shooting at a bicyclist, firing on pursuing officers, and engaging in an hours-long barricade situation before being taken into custody.
The incident began around 11:57 a.m. Wednesday, when a white male — later identified as Bowne — allegedly pointed a gun at a bicyclist in Marlborough Township, stole the victim’s bicycle, and fired shots at the victim as he fled on foot. The victim was unharmed and managed to flag down a passing vehicle to call 911.
Marlborough Township Police responded quickly and located the suspect’s dark blue Ford Mustang near 1600 Swamp Creek Road, police said. As police pulled in behind the vehicle at 12:04 p.m., Bowne allegedly fired multiple rounds directly at the officer, narrowly missing.
A multi-agency pursuit ensued, involving Marlborough Township Police, Montgomery County law enforcement, Pennsylvania State Police, and support from nearby departments. During the pursuit, Bowne is accused of continuing to fire his weapon at police while fleeing into West Rockhill Township in Upper Bucks County, according to investigators.
The chase came to a halt when Bowne’s Mustang became stuck in a construction zone along the 1800 block of Ridge Road, just north of County Line Road. Witnesses reported seeing the suspect firing shots from the vehicle around noon.
By James Short 
Law enforcement rapidly surrounded the scene, deploying personnel from the Central Bucks Special Emergency Response Team (SERT), Pennsylvania State Police SERT, and officers from Pennridge Regional, Limerick, New Hanover, Lower Salford, and Douglass Township Police Departments. Tactical teams staged near the Naceville Hotel on Ridge Road while negotiators worked to engage the barricaded suspect.
At about 2:24 p.m., after sustained negotiation efforts, Bowne surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody without further incident. No civilians or officers were injured. Authorities recovered three firearms from the suspect following his arrest.
Bowne is also charged with felony robbery, misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person, two misdemeanor counts of simple assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of misdemeanor attempted assault, and two misdemeanor counts of possessing an instrument of crime, according to court documents.
Bowne was arraigned Thursday by Magisterial District Judge Katherine E. McGill, who denied bail, citing the defendant’s clear danger to society. He was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
A bail review hearing is scheduled for Friday, and a preliminary hearing is set for 11 a.m. on June 23 before Magisterial District Judge Maureen Coggins.
Emergency medical personnel, including Grand View EMS, were on standby during the incident but did not need to transport anyone. By 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, authorities confirmed there was no further threat to the public.
Bowne's does not have an extensive criminal record: He was put on one year of probation in August 2018 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor drug possession, stemming from an August 2017 arrest in Salford Township.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
