Pottsville police and officers from surrounding municipalities as well as state police responded to reports shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday of a man on a roof with a gun and gunshots in the city.
However, a man taken into custody - identified as Anthony Iacovitti, 40, of Pottsville - was questioned and released after it was determined the weapon was a pellet gun.
Still, city police Capt. Richard Wojciechowsky said charges are pending in the incident that occurred at 2 N. Third St., and he defended the heavy police response as "absolutely appropriate."
After he was released, Iacovitti made a phone call to The Republican-Herald, saying that in hindsight he should not have fired the gun.
"I do understand everything about Boston and everything else. It wasn't my intent to scare anyone else," Iacovitti said.
Police responded to initial reports of a man on the roof with a "long gun."
Witnesses directed officers to Division Street and pointed to the roof where they found Iacovitti. Police said Iacovitti was ordered to come down and did so without incident. He was taken to city hall for interrogation.
Iacovitti's son, who also was present during the incident, is not a suspect, Wojciechowsky said.
"This one looked and sounded like a real firearm," Wojciechowsky said about the gun, which police initially identified as a "battery-operated MP5 replica outfitted with scope and collapsible stock."
Wojciechowsky said the investigation is continuing.
A supervisor with the Schuylkill County Communications Center said "We were getting multiple calls on it. Some people believe they heard shots fired."
Wojciechowsky said no one was injured.
Iacovitti said he was surprised at the reaction of the public and police. "I didn't think it would be a big deal because it was an Airsoft gun. I didn't think it would turn into an issue like it did."
He said he has fired the gun from the roof before.
His son, he said, asked if they could shoot off some rubber BBs in practice. They did it, he said, to practice for an upcoming Airsoft game. They fired at a boarded house next door for practice and added the gun "doesn't sound any different than a cap gun."
In reference to the initial release about the MP5 replica, Minersville police Chief Michael Combs said "When you look at those things you would think they are holding a real gun."
Responding to the scene in addition to city police were officers from Schuylkill Haven, New Castle Township, Minersville, Tremont, Saint Clair, and Orwigsburg police departments. Both state police from Schuylkill Haven and Frackville also responded, a supervisor with at the communications center said.
Wojciechowsky said the police response was an "absolutely appropriate response" given the situation.
Iacovitti said he tries to be a responsible adult.
"This is automatically going to be an embarrassment," he said. "It's going to be on the front page."
