Press release from the Cortland City Police Department.
On March 25, 2021, just after midnight, City police responded to Shea Hall on the SUNY Cortland campus to speak with a 19 year old woman regarding an incident that had occurred about 45 minutes earlier at the bus stop near 60 Central Avenue in the City.
The woman explained that she had been there waiting for a taxi when a man, who she did not know, approached her waving an aluminum baseball bat around above his head in a threatening manner. The woman said that the man had quickly approached her and blocked her exit from the bus stop booth and when she attempted to pass he stepped in front of her to prevent her exiting. The woman said the man never spoke and just stared blankly into her eyes while waving the bat around.
The woman eventually ran out past the man as her taxi pulled up. As the taxi arrived, the man reportedly ran away in the opposite direction at first and then came back and attempted to open the door to the taxi. The taxi drove away leaving the bat wielding man behind, standing in the roadway.
The woman provided a detailed description of the man and in short order, City police located Jesse James Miller (53) of 4 Greenbush Street Apartment 1 near where the incident had taken place. Miller did not have a baseball bat with him, but matched the physical and clothing description given by the woman. Miller was also apparently under the influence of a some unknown substance.
The woman identified Miller as being the man that had threatened her with the bat. Miller was taken into custody and found to be in possession of bath salts.
Miller was charged with;
- Menacing 2nd (M)
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd (F)
- Criminal Possession of a controlled substance 7th (M)
Miller was remanded to the CCJ with no information available regarding his next appearance.
