Charles Bowne III, of Pennsburg (Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney's Office) Kelly, Kathleen
Rescheduled seven times since September 2025, the pre-trial conference is now set for April in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court for an Upper Hanover Township man accused of attempted murder and aggravated assault in an armed robbery and standoff with police in Upper Bucks County last summer.
Charles Joseph Bowne III, 35, of the 2000 block of Morgan Hill Drive, is accused of shooting at a bicyclist, firing on pursuing officers, and engaging in an hours-long barricade situation before being taken into custody on June 12, 2025.
Bowne was denied bail due to being considered a danger to the community. All charges, including two counts of attempted murder, felony robbery, five counts of aggravated assault, two misdemeanor counts of simple assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of misdemeanor attempted assault, and two misdemeanor counts of possessing an instrument of crime were held for Montgomery County court at a preliminary hearing in July 2025.
The incident began around 11:57 a.m. June 12, 2025, when Bowne allegedly pointed a gun at a bicyclist in Marlborough Township, stole the victim’s bicycle, and fired shots at the victim as he fled on foot. The victim was unharmed and managed to flag down a passing vehicle to call 911.
Marlborough Township Police responded quickly and located the suspect’s dark blue Ford Mustang near 1600 Swamp Creek Road, police said. As police pulled in behind the vehicle at 12:04 p.m., Bowne allegedly fired multiple rounds directly at the officer, narrowly missing.
A multi-agency pursuit ensued, involving Marlborough Township Police, Montgomery County law enforcement, Pennsylvania State Police, and support from nearby departments. During the pursuit, Bowne is accused of continuing to fire his weapon at police while fleeing into West Rockhill Township in Upper Bucks County, according to investigators.
The chase came to a halt when Bowne’s Mustang became stuck in a construction zone along the 1800 block of Ridge Road, just north of County Line Road. Witnesses reported seeing the suspect firing shots from the vehicle around noon.
By James Short
By James Short
Law enforcement rapidly surrounded the scene, deploying personnel from the Central Bucks Special Emergency Response Team (SERT), Pennsylvania State Police SERT, and officers from Pennridge Regional, Limerick, New Hanover, Lower Salford, and Douglass Township Police Departments. Tactical teams staged near the Naceville Hotel on Ridge Road while negotiators worked to engage the barricaded suspect.
At about 2:24 p.m., after sustained negotiation efforts, Bowne surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody without further incident. No civilians or officers were injured. Authorities recovered three firearms from the suspect following his arrest.
Bowne does not have an extensive criminal record: He was put on one year of probation in August 2018 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor drug possession, stemming from an August 2017 arrest in Salford Township.
Formerly represented by a public defender, Bowne is now represented by Blue Bell defense attorney Andrew Joseph Levin. The pre-trial conference is set for April 27 before Common Pleas Judge William R. Carpenter.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
