AUBURN — A former Bates College student denied charges in court Thursday stemming from what police said was a drunken assault on an elderly man in an apparent case of mistaken residence.
Mac Jackson, 21, of Hood River, Ore., appeared before a judge in Androscoggin County Superior Court and answered not guilty to charges of aggravated criminal trespass and aggravated assault, both felonies.
Jackson remained free on $2,500 bail. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
Conditions of bail remain the same, including no use or possession of alcohol or illegal drugs and no possession of dangerous weapons. He must submit to random search and testing by law enforcement.
Jackson was a biology major and football team captain at the Lewiston college. In 2012, he was named All-New England First Team Specialist by the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.
A Bates spokesman said Jackson left the school shortly after the April incident and is no longer a student.
Police responded to a White Street home on the night of April 16 for a report of a burglary in progress. When they arrived, they saw Jackson standing next to a table in the kitchen. Wet from rain, he had no shirt on and was missing a shoe, according to court papers.
An 82-year-old man was lying on the kitchen floor in pain. The homeowner said he had been working on his taxes when someone began knocking on his door. He responded and ordered Jackson to leave. Jackson refused. He started hitting the window on the door. The man eventually opened the door for Jackson so he wouldn’t injure his hand, according to police.
When Jackson entered the home, he pushed the man to the floor, police said. The man was taken by ambulance to a Lewiston hospital, where police were told he had a broken hip and would need surgery.
Police said Jackson was “highly intoxicated” and wasn’t able to identify himself. He told police he was a Bates student and was just trying to find his way home, mistakenly believing he had arrived.
One of the conditions of Jackson’s release is to stay away from the White Street home.
cwilliams@sunjournal.com
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- Former Bates College student Mac Jackson, 21, of Hood River, Ore., pleaded not guilty in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn on Thursday to charges of aggravated criminal trespass and aggravated assault, both felonies.
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