Pennsylvania court: Making gun-like hand gesture is a crime
LANCASTER COUNTY — A Lancaster County man convicted of disorderly conduct for making a shooting gesture with his hand has lost his bid to have it overturned.
A state appellate court made the ruling Tuesday on the appeal brought by Stephen Kirchner, 64.
The man from Manor Township made the gesture while walking past a neighbor’s home in June 2018. The man allegedly made an obscene gesture toward Kirchner, who responded with his gesture.
A witness called 911 to report the incident. The neighbor told authorities he felt “extremely threatened.”
In his appeal, Kirchner argued that his gesture didn’t create a hazardous or physically offensive condition. He also argued that he didn’t intend to cause a public inconvenience because he made the gesture to a specific individual.
Kirchner’s attorney said they won’t appeal the matter further.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.