The Kennebec Sheriff’s Department arrested a Belgrade man on Friday after he allegedly fired a rifle repeatedly while intoxicated near a children’s summer camp following a dispute about a tractor.
At approximately 7:04 p.m., Kennebec deputies responded to Camp Modin, a summer camp in Belgrade, for a report of a man firing a rifle nearby.
The callers reported that two men had approached from a residence that borders the camp and complained about something relating to a tractor.
The camp’s security met the men and called 911 after the interaction.
While the callers were on the phone with dispatchers, one of the men allegedly began firing a rifle from 389 Smithfield Road.
The dispatcher was allegedly able to hear the gunshots through the phone.
Deputy Tyler Johnson arrived and requested that the camp, occupied by several staff members and hundreds of children, be placed on lockdown.
Deputy Johnson allegedly saw the suspect fire his rifle approximately 20 times in various directions.
More deputies arrived on scene and approached 389 Smithfield Road, where they demanded that the suspect exit the home.
He eventually complied and was arrested without further incident.
He was identified as Nathan R. Hewett, a resident of the home.
While he was being transported to the Kennebec County Correctional Facility, he allegedly displayed signs of intoxication.
He was ordered held without bail and charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, and terrorizing.
During the investigation, deputies located a .22-caliber rifle where Hewett had been standing while allegedly shooting and seized several other weapons from his home.
K-9 Rooster assisted in discovering multiple spent shell casings. An investigation of the casings’ locations suggested that Hewett allegedly fired multiple shots toward the camp’s basketball field.
