Lebanon man indicted in assault, reckless conduct

Byron Pettis (York County Jail photo)

LEBANON - A Lebanon man has been indicted on four felony charges stemming from an incident in which he allegedly assaulted a female partner then threatened to kill himself and fired a weapon through a glass door to prove it was loaded.

Byron Pettis, 26, of 254 Orrills Hill Road, stands charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, reckless conduct with a firearm, domestic assault and obstruction in the reporting of a crime in the Feb. 16 incident at their home.

Police allege both parties were intoxicated when Pettis made statements indicating he was going to kill himself. He pointed the gun at himself, then shot through a glass portion of a door to show the gun was functioning,” said Maine State Trooper David Coflesky, who added that with a neighbor’s house some 80 yards away the discharge of the weapon amounted to reckless conduct.

He said the domestic assault stemmed from some pushing and shoving between Pettis and his partner.

Pettis is prohibited from possessing firearms as he is a convicted felon. He also has prior convictions on domestic assault, reckless conduct and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

A York County grand jury handed down the indictment last week.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt, only that a grand jury has decided there is enough evidence to move forward with a trial.