An Otisfield man is facing assault charges after he was arrested on Saturday for allegedly shooting a woman in the hand while recklessly discharging a rifle.
[RELATED: Maine State Police Investigating Shooting in Waldo County: Three Masked Men Suspected…]
The Oxford County Sheriff’s Department received reports at around 7:10 p.m. that a woman had been shot outside a Bell Hill Road residence in Otisfield.
Oxford deputies arrived to discover a 28-year-old female victim who had been shot in the hand. She received emergency treatment at the scene before being transported by ambulance to Stephens Memorial Hospital.
Deputies also discovered the alleged shooter, John K. Pottle Jr., 38, of Otisfield, took him into custody, and seized his “AR-15 style rifle.”
Based on the preliminary investigation, the sheriff’s department believes that Pottle was recklessly discharging his firearm in the vicinity of the victim when he allegedly shot and injured her.
He was transported to the Oxford County Jail, where he faces charges of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault. He was issued a $5,000 bail.
The sheriff’s department did not specify whether the victim was known to Pottle and did not speculate about what motivated the alleged shooting.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the Oxford Sheriff’s Department was assisted by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, the Maine State Police, and the Oxford and Norway Police Departments.
