Jenkintown Man Pistol Whipped Ex-Girlfriend: Bucks County Authorities

JENKINTOWN, PA —A 37-year-old Jenkintown man has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault after a Bucks County woman said she was pistol-whipped following their breakup last week, police said.

The Bensalem Township Police Department said took a report of an aggravated domestic assault report Friday from the woman who stated that the day before, she had broken up with her boyfriend, Donte Powell, 37, of Old York Road, Jenkintown.

On Saturday, she told police that Powell showed up at her house, took her to the bedroom, closed the shades, and locked the bedroom door. He then produced a handgun and placed it against her forehead as he slapped her face while telling her to "shut up."

He also pistol-whipped her several times, police said.

Police were told that Powell periodically pointed the gun at her head while making threats to kill her oldest daughter and her parents.

At one point, the victim called for her daughter, who came up to the bedroom. The victim then mouthed to her oldest daughter "help me" as she gestured that Powell had a gun, police said.

The victim's daughter then went downstairs and got her father, who went upstairs and told Powell to leave the house, police said.

As Powell was exiting, he pulled the gun from his waistband, pointed it up the stairs, and pulled the trigger.

Police said that the magazine fell from the gun, which triggered a safety mechanism that did not allow it to fire. Powell pulled the trigger two more times, but the gun didn't fire.

Powell was then pushed outside, and the door was locked. Powell then fled the scene.

Bensalem Police immediately placed officers outside the Williamson Court residence.

Bensalem Police obtained an arrest warrant for Powell and were able to identify that he was staying at an apartment in Jenkintown.

Police contacted the Abington Police Department, who obtained a search warrant for the residence. The Abington Township Police SWAT Team was activated and took Powell into custody without incident.

Police said two guns were recovered, one of which was used in the aggravated assault in Bensalem.

Powell was transported back to the Bensalem Township Police Department, where he was arraigned by District Justice Michael Gallagher. He was taken to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $1,000,000 bail.

He was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, firearms not to be carried without a license, terroristic threats, possession of an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, and harassment.

Bensalem Police thanked the Abington Township Police Department and SWAT team for their assistance in capturing Powell.