SMETHPORT — Following a two-day trial last week in McKean County Court, Sharon Vandrish was convicted of charges coming from a nine-hour standoff with police at her Marshburg home last year.

Vandrish, 61, of Marshburg, was convicted of two counts of recklessly endangering another person with a deadly weapon and two counts of terroristic threats with a deadly weapon.

According to the criminal complaint, on March 13, 2024, Vandrish’s brother, a law enforcement officer in Canada, contacted state police to request a welfare check on his sister as he was concerned with her mental state.

On March 21, 2024, Vandrish set off a panic alarm at her residence and troopers responded. On April 29, troopers were called because Vandrish’s neighbors were concerned that she was constantly yelling and shooting in her backyard after several arguments they had, the complaint stated.

On May 1, troopers responded to another panic alarm at her residence, and she livestreamed the response to YouTube. She set off her vehicle’s alarm, and as troopers approached she yelled, “I have the right to shoot you, yes you are being recorded, yes you are on my property, yes this is going to the CIA, you are committing an act of terrorism. I am the judge, you are intimidating a witness,” the complaint stated.

On Thursday, state police reported the information to the McKean County Mental Health Crisis Unit, and a warrant was issued for an involuntary commitment for a mental health evaluation. At 7:20 p.m., troopers went to her residence to serve the warrant, and began to establish a perimeter, with a trooper on each side of her property in the woods. Vandrish set off her home and vehicle alarms and began yelling at police to get off her property when the troopers on the perimeter radioed in that she was armed, according to the complaint.

One of the troopers radioed in that he was trapped by a shed on the property as it was unknown where Vandrish had shot and what would happen next. Another trooper ran to check on him and, together, they all escaped injury.

Corp. John Schall, who filed the criminal charges for Vandrish’s conduct on May 9, yelled over the loudspeaker to drop the firearm, explained District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer. However, Vandrish responded that she was not dropping the firearm and, also, that they needed to get off the property and she retreated to the residence.

“Over the next 9 hours, the Pennsylvania State Police and their Emergency Response Team known as S.E.R.T. attempted to negotiate her surrender on a warrant for her arrest,” Shaffer said. “Route 59 was closed during the incident until she eventually surrendered to police at approximately 4:00 a.m. on May 10, 2024.”

Shaffer spoke about the danger to first responders.

“Police are often the target of violence and threats merely for performing their duties — some for which they can prepare and take precautions and others they cannot because they are required to respond every time they are dispatched,” she said. “In this case, the offender fired a shot while troopers were in the vicinity on the same property. Some offenders may attempt to avoid criminal responsibility by asserting they did not shoot directly at an officer but, merely, in the area they were standing. But we will still hold them accountable for the risk to life they have created.

“If an offender intentionally shoots at an officer, they will be charged with attempted homicide.  In this case, the offender shot in the vicinity of the troopers, resulting in charges that show a reckless disregard for the safety of the troopers and for using a firearm to convey a threat,” the top prosecutor explained. “In this case, we sought the deadly weapon enhancement because it is an appropriate element that will allow for an enhanced penalty since a weapon was used. The troopers were at significant risk during this event and I am thankful that each of them was uninjured.”

Sentencing was scheduled for August 14.

Vandrish was represented by Erie attorney Mario Medina.