EAST CANTON ‒ A 42-year-old man upset by neighborhood fireworks has been charged with aggravated menacing, accused of shooting a gun into the ground.
The suspect pleaded not guilty in Canton Municipal Court on July 31 to that charge, as well as a charge of discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises.
In a Facebook post early July 31, Police Chief Christopher Hartlaub said the department is investigating the July 30 incident in the 300 block of Orchard Drive as a neighbor dispute.
He said officers were called after receiving a report from residents who said they had been setting off firecrackers when they were approached by a neighbor who lives directly behind them.
According to the complaints, the neighbor became upset over the discharge of the firecrackers and allegedly showed a firearm during the confrontation. The complainants further said the man then lowered the firearm and fired a single round into the ground.
“Officers responded immediately and made contact with the suspected individual,” Hartlaub wrote. “The suspect cooperated with responding officers, surrendered without incident, and was taken into custody without further issues. No injury was reported as a result of the incident.
“The East Canton Police Department reminds residents that disagreements between neighbors should be resolved peacefully and encourages anyone involved in a dispute to contact law enforcement before situations escalate,” the chief wrote.
The complaint filed by police said two officers responded to the Orchard Street address at 8:10 p.m. It says the defendant “knowingly pointed his firearm in the direction of the victim, then proceeded to fire (one) round into the ground.”
Aggravated menacing is a misdemeanor of the first degree. Discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
Municipal Court Judge Earle E. Wise Jr. released the suspect on a $15,000 unsecured bond. He is to have no contact with the victim or victims.
The defendant is scheduled to have a pretrial hearing on Aug. 10.
Anyone with additional information regarding the incident is asked to call the East Canton Police Department at 330-488-0220.
Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: East Canton man angry about fireworks charged with shooting gun
Reporting by Nancy Molnar, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nancy Molnar, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
