Scottdale man accused of threatening woman with knife, hammer in domestic incident

A Scottdale man is free on unsecured bail after police said he used a knife and hammer to threaten a woman at his home, according to court papers.

Mark Washington, 47, was arraigned Friday on simple assault, terroristic threats and harassment charges.

Borough police were called at 12:30 p.m. Thursday by a woman who reported she had escaped Washington’s North Chestnut Street apartment after being assaulted through the night, according to court papers. The woman told police she fled after Washington laid down.

Police said Washington threatened her with a hammer and knife and took the woman’s phone, glasses and leg brace. The woman told authorities that Washington swung the hammer at a wall near her head if she didn’t lay still and made a stabbing motion with the knife beside her, according to court papers.

Washington was arrested as he exited his apartment. He told police they had been fighting throughout the night and that he had been “messing with her” that morning, according to court papers. Authorities reported finding a hammer next to knives in the kitchen. Washington denied threatening or hitting the woman with them.

He is free on $5,000 unsecured bail. He could not be reached and did not have an attorney listed in online court records. A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 8.