Man with rifle on rooftop causes stir at a Lehigh Valley community’s concert. The borough posted him there in response to mass shootings.

A free outdoor concert in one Northampton County community was expected to draw 5,000 people Sunday, but it was one person who drew the most attention.

North Catasauqua police Chief Christopher Wolfer placed a “tactical officer” with a rifle on a nearby rooftop at an Amish Outlaws concert in William J. Albert Memorial Park on Grove Street. He said in a statement Monday that he decided to do so as a security measure in light of “numerous active shooting events” nationwide.

A photo of the officer on the rooftop went viral after the website Lehigh Valley With Love shared it and Wolfer felt compelled to explain the decision with a statement Monday.

He said due to a potential crowd of 5,000 people, and in light of recent mass shootings nationwide, Wolfer placed the officer on the rooftop to conduct “overwatch” during the concert.

Wolfer described the officer as a “highly skilled marksman” who has been trained for such emergency situations. He said the officer wore a vest with “Police” on the front and back.

“At no point during this event did the tactical officer ever point his rifle in the vicinity of the crowd,” Wolfer said. “His rifle was mounted on a tripod and pointed at the roof during the concert.”

The rooftop officer elicited comments on social media, with some people wondering what was happening.

The chief, who did not respond to requests for further comment, said in his statement that he was told some people felt uneasy about the officer’s presence. But he felt it was a “necessary addition” to the security measures for the concert.

“I apologize to those who were offended or felt uneasy,” Wolfer said, “but at the end of the day, my job as Chief of Police is to make sure that everyone in our community is safe.”

Borough Mayor William J. Molchany, who attended the concert hosted by the borough’s recreation committee, said the crowd was estimated at 3,000, about 200 more than the borough’s population. Summer concerts at the park typically draw crowds around a couple of hundred people, he said.

Molchany said borough council was apprised last month of the added security measures, based on “rumors” of upward of 5,000 people attending, including people being bused from Philadelphia to the free concert.

“It’s unfortunate that we have to make decisions like this, but you have to protect the community,” Molchany said.

The Amish Outlaws, according to the group’s website, is an American cover band from Lancaster that was formed in 2002 and includes four ex-Amish performers. The band plays renditions of songs by contemporary composers. They are scheduled to play Aug. 10 at Musikfest.