16 October 2023- Washington Township PD are able to safely deescalate a situation earlier this month that involved a man allegedly firing a firearm and subsequently clearing his pistol in front of police. Ryan Eugene Bloom is charged with felony illegal possession of a firearm and misdemeanor reckless endangerment following the incident. Bloom failed to post bail of $75,000.
Around 9:10am on October 13th, Washington Township PD were dispatched to the area near the intersection of Waterloo Road and Pen Mar Road outside of Waynesboro for a call of shots fired. When police arrived and parked about two houses down, the allegedly found a man, later identified as Ryan Bloom, and a woman outside of their home. When police approached the man, they allegedly saw the man put his hands up with but with a pistol in them.
Bloom allegedly didn’t initially put down his weapon but police say he cleared the magazine from the weapon and ejected a round before placing them all on some furniture. He then came down but again, refused to answer questions saying to “ask them” and similar phrases. Officers asked Bloom why he took shots at the stop sign, to which he allegedly answered “he didn’t like it”.
After de-escalation of the incident, police secured the firearm and continued their investigation. They were able to speak with a witness who lived with Bloom, with her saying that he was up all night drinking and that something set him off and prompted him to go into their office to get the gun. This witness reportedly told police that he never pointed the gun at her, but that he was “just waving it around”.
Bloom was interviewed again by officers, in which he allegedly told them to “contact DCNR in case he hit a deer”. Police then detained Bloom and booked him through WTPD. They were able to find three empty shell casings on the scene of the incident.
Ryan Bloom is behind bars on $75,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is set for October 24th.
Sources: Docket Number: MJ-39302-CR-0000405-2023, Incident No.: WTPD202308758
