Sep 23, 2015 By Harry Funk 4 min read

A homeless man was arrested Tuesday by state police on two warrants obtained by Clairton police on charges stemming from a store robbery and a chase through that borough during which he allegedly fired a gun at a police officer.

Ed Fowler, 27, whose last known address is Avella, was taken into custody in Washington’s West End when he apparently got a ride to the city after allegedly breaking into an Amwell Township home earlier that afternoon.

Trooper Matthew Jardine, state police public information officer, said the troopers were called about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to a home at 567 Ten Mile Road after the homeowner discovered her home was burglarized.

The woman came home and saw a man later identified as Fowler standing outside her residence. When she asked him what he was doing, he said that he was looking for a friend who was lost in the woods. He also told her that he needed gasoline so he was taken to Ruff Creek Market in Greene County.

When the woman returned home, she realized that her house had been ransacked and burglarized. Stolen from the home was a handgun and $6,000.

Jardine said state police went to the market and saw the pickup truck that Fowler had been driving in the parking lot. The truck had been reported stolen in Clairton.

“He apparently paid someone to give him a ride to Washington,” Jardine said. “He then paid someone else who gave him a ride to Washington’s West End.”

When Fowler was spotted by police, he took off and was caught after a brief foot chase. Police recovered the gun and $5,800.

Fowler faces charges including assault of a police officer after he reportedly fired a gun when police tried to apprehend him in Allegheny County on Monday, according to the court documents.

Officer Richard Castagna of Clairton police stated in the criminal complaint that he saw Fowler, whom he knew was wanted on a warrant for robbing the Dollar General in Clairton on Sunday, in a vehicle in the borough about 4 p.m. Monday.

Fowler was driving a 2000 Jaguar that turned out to be stolen from Pleasant Hills, Castagna said.

When the officer activated his lights and siren, Fowler ran a red light and two stop signs before running two vehicles off the road, according to the complaint.

As Fowler turned onto Walnut Avenue, Jeffrey Nolte, the Clairton police officer listed as the intended victim of the gunshot, had to swerve to avoid the Jaguar and struck a telephone pole, damaging his patrol vehicle. Fowler was traveling about 80 mph, the complaint states.

Fowler continued onto Route 837 South, where he swerved into oncoming traffic, nearly causing a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer, and according to the complaint, the pursuit stopped at the West Elizabeth Borough line.

At 4:29 p.m., Clairton police were notified that the Jaguar was found unoccupied along Finleyville-Elrama Road in Union Township. Found inside were empty three stamp bags of heroin, 60 tablets of prescription drugs and a lock pick.

Allegheny County dispatch received a call a short time later that a man matching Fowler’s description had been dropped off at Jefferson Hospital, but police did not find him there. In the meantime, Jefferson Hills Borough police were told that Fowler’s wallet, with identification card, was found along Old Payne Road, but police dogs were unable to track him, according to court records.

Fowler was initially placed in Washington County jail Tuesday night on a probation detainer. Fowler, who also faces charges including receiving stolen property, flight to avoid apprehension, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, possessing an instrument of crime, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, criminal mischief and tampering with property, possession of controlled substance and paraphernalia and numerous traffic violations, was arraigned on the warrants before District Judge James Ellis, who set bond at $250,000. He was taken to Allegheny County to be arraigned Wednesday morning.

Jardine said state police will file charges including burglary, theft and criminal trespass against Fowler in connection with the Amwell burglary at a later date.