FARMINGTON — An Industry man pleaded not guilty Thursday to assaulting two men, breaking a vehicle headlight and escaping from a police cruiser in handcuffs.
Daniel J. Severance, 24, of Industry, was arrested by Farmington officer Christoph Mutschin on Wednesday night on two misdemeanor charges of assault and one charge each of escape, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.
Mutschin responded to a report of a disturbance of two men fighting at 6:52 p.m. at 106 Sawtelle Lane, which is off High Street. He witnessed a man, later identified as Severance, jump into the passenger side of an SUV as it was turning north on High Street, according to his affidavit filed in a Farmington court. There were other people gathered outside yelling and screaming, he said.
The officer wrote that he went to the SUV, which was stopped in a snowbank, and Severance jumped out and started walking south on High Street. People at the scene said Severance was going door-to-door trying to drink beer with them.
Mutschin followed Severance in his cruiser and told him to stop, handcuffed him and placed him in the cruiser.
Franklin County Deputy Sgt. Ryan Close and Maine State Trooper Jed Malcore spoke to witnesses.
Mutschin’s statement said he returned to the SUV and was informed that witnesses did not know Severance or why he was going door-to-door looking to drink beer with them. A woman said he walked up to her house and knocked on the door, asking to drink with her daughter. The mother told him her daughter was 17 and he was not welcome.
Severance then walked into an apartment where two men told him to get out because they didn’t know him. Both told police Severance started throwing punches and punched the younger man in the face before they could get him out. He also allegedly started throwing beer bottles at the older man’s truck and broke a taillight. Witnesses told police they also saw Severance throw beer bottles at an SUV and apartments, according to the affidavit.
As Mutschin was preparing to take Severance to the Franklin County jail, he heard him kicking the back windows of the cruiser, got out, opened the back door and told Severance to stop and sit up, which Severance said he could not do.
Mutschin partially closed the door, walked behind the cruiser to get to the other side and saw Severance get up, jump out and start running. He was tackled about 100 feet away and driven to the jail, the officer wrote.
Severance entered not guilty pleas before Judge Cynthia Montgomery via videoconference from the jail to a Farmington court, according to court documents. He was released from jail Friday on $250 cash bail. His next court date is Feb. 1.
A conviction on each of the charges is punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.
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