Homeless man accused of chaos in downtown Altoona before arrest: ‘Officer down!’

ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — A homeless man was accused of throwing rocks through downtown Altoona windows before his arrest and screaming “officer down” across police radio.

Daniel Hogans, 48, was arrested Sunday evening, accused of throwing a brick through a Blair County Assistance Office window and then a rock through the front window of “Redneck Reno” roughly a block away.

Altoona police said they arrived at Redneck Reno to find Hogans. According to the criminal complaint, he was asked why he threw a rock through the window, he allegedly claimed it was because he didn’t have a gun or else he would have “killed seven people by now.”

Police spoke with a witness at another downtown building who claimed Hogans showed up there but was denied entry due to previous issues with him. According to charges, the witness said he then watched Hogans throw the brick and smash the window at the assistance office and then run off.

When talking to a witness at Redneck Reno, police were told two rocks came through the 12-foot tall front window, smashing it and damaging the front counter. Police noted in the complaint that these two incidents happened two minutes apart and the damage was at least $1,000.

When taken back to the Altoona Police Department, Hogans was able to grab a police radio, press the button, and shout “Officer down! Officer down!” according to charges.

Stay up to date with the latest news in the palm of your hand. Click here to download the WTAJ app for Apple and Android devices.

Hogans was arraigned on criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, and communications with 911 charges. He was placed in Blair County Prison with bail set at $35,000.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ - www.wtaj.com.