Man Arrested After Tense Knife Standoff With Officer In Vacant Bar, Cops Say

A man was arrested after a Bristol Township police officer found him inside a closed bar early Sunday morning.

At around 5 a.m., an officer on patrol noticed the front door of the former Stadium Bar and Grill on Veterans Highway near Ford Road was open. The building had been boarded up and was vacant pending redevelopment, according to police.

The officer entered the building, announced his presence, and searched the bar area but found nothing, police said.

While entering the kitchen, the officer heard a noise and spotted a man inside, per court papers.

According to police, the man appeared disheveled and confused. He claimed it was raining outside, but it was not.

The officer told the man he was trespassing and ordered him to the ground, police said.

The man then reportedly pulled a large knife from his pocket as the officer gave him orders.

The officer deployed a Taser, but it had no effect on the man, police said.

With the man still holding the knife, the officer drew his service weapon and retreated, according to police.

The man began walking toward the officer and was ordered to drop the knife. He repeatedly said he was a fisherman, police said.

Additional officers arrived at the scene, and an officer eventually persuaded the man to put down the knife after agreeing to lower their firearms if he complied, police said.

The man moved away from the knife while “rambling on” and speaking in a way that was difficult to understand, according to police.

The man was taken into custody.

At the police station, the man provided officers with a different name and date of birth, police said.

The man in custody was identified as Anthony Boss, 42, who was homeless.

Boss was charged with aggravated assault, criminal trespassing and false reports. He was preliminarily arraigned before District Judge Joseph Falcone and committed to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $250,000 bail.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.