Cops: Uniondale man, 90, fired shots

A 90-year-old Uniondale man was arrested on reckless endangerment and weapons charges after he fired shots from a rifle and barricaded himself in his Uniondale home for about five hours Tuesday night, Nassau County police said.

Peter Stefanowicz of 805 Planders Ave. was arrested at about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to a release.

The incident began at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night, when two First Precinct officers responded to an emergency call of a burglary in progress at the house, police said.

After police knocked at the front door and there was no answer, one of the officers went to a side door and saw a man with a rifle in the kitchen, according to a release.

Both officers took cover, the report said, and a gunshot came from the side of the house. Police said four more shots were then fired, about three to four minutes apart, as backup assistance arrived at the scene, police said.

Stefanowicz then barricaded himself in his home, police said, as Nassau County's hostage negotiation team and its bureau of special operations and emergency services unit also responded in an effort to diffuse the situation.

At about 1:30 a.m., Stefanowicz was apprehended by officers as he walked to the side door, the report said. He was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow for observation.

There were no injuries, but police said two houses in the neighborhood were struck by bullets. A .35 caliber rifle was recovered, police said.

Police said Stefanowicz was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and fourth-degree possession of a dangerous weapon.

He will be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead "as soon as practical," police said.