- Berkshire District Attorney's Office
Media Contact for Man arraigned and held on firearm charges
Dennis Yusko, Communications Director
Pittsfield — A judge on Tuesday sided with the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office and ordered a man detained for brandishing a loaded gun at police officers during a foot chase in Pittsfield a day earlier.
Central Berkshire District Court Judge Mark Pasquariello ordered Andre A. Austin, 32, held pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Berkshire Assistant District Attorney Amy Winston moved for the dangerousness hearing in court, arguing that Austin posed a threat to police officers and the public on Monday, when he tried to escape from officers that had responded to reports of a man with a firearm.
The incident took place at around 3 p.m. Monday in the area of Tyler and Burbank streets. Police said they found a .38-caliber revolver in Austin’s possession that was reported stolen from Georgia.
Austin, who gave his home address as Pittsfield, was arraigned on Tuesday and charged with carrying a loaded firearm without a license and identification, possessing a firearm with a prior violent or drug-related crime, possessing a firearm without a license, possessing ammunition without a license, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and receiving stolen property.
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