The man who turned himself in peacefully to authorities a week ago at the Irving Circle K truck stop on Center Road in Fairfield was wanted by police after he allegedly fired gunshots into a vehicle in which his ex-girlfriend and her friend were traveling.
Those new details emerged Friday as Winslow police Lt. Brad Hubert described details of the shooting allegations against Steven Pratt that took place around 9 p.m. on Oct. 21.
Pratt, 39, a long-haul trucker whose place of residence wasn’t listed, was arrested Oct. 22 at the Fairfield truck stop, hours after he allegedly fired shots into a vehicle on China Road in Winslow. He remains in jail following the domestic violence-related incident and is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 12, according to police.
Pratt and his ex-girlfriend recently had broken up, according to Hubert. Prior to the shooting, they had met up to talk somewhere in Fairfield, after which she and her friend left, Hubert said.
“The victim and friend were driving around and Mr. Pratt pulled up behind them on China Road in Winslow at some point and fired shots into their vehicle,” he said. “No one was injured.”
At the time, Pratt was driving his personal pickup truck, but the long-haul truck he drives was parked at the truck stop in Fairfield, according to Hubert. Police issued a be-on-the-lookout bulletin for Pratt and his vehicle and they also issued a temporary warrant because they couldn’t find him, according to Hubert. Police were aware Pratt’s tractor-trailer was parked at the truck stop and kept checking the area, he said.
Pratt drove around in his pickup after the shooting and eventually drove to the Fairfield truck stop, got out of his vehicle and got into his tractor-trailer, according to Hubert.
Fairfield police on Sunday reported they worked with officers from the Winslow and Waterville police departments, as well as Maine State Police, to secure the rear parking lot and set up a perimeter around the Circle K.
The Maine State Police Tactical Team and Crisis Negotiation Team responded to the incident and spoke with Pratt and, after he surrendered peacefully, he was turned over to Winslow police.
Hubert said Pratt was arrested and charged with attempted elevated aggravated assault, a Class A crime; aggravated reckless conduct, Class B; domestic violence criminal threatening, Class D; two counts of elevated aggravated assault; and two counts of aggravated reckless conduct. Hubert said the charges involved two counts because there were two people in the targeted vehicle when the shooting occurred.
After the incident, Pratt was taken to Kennebec County jail in Augusta and held without bail, according to Hubert. He was scheduled to appear in Kennebec County Superior Court on Dec. 12, he said.
A jail spokesman said Friday afternoon that Pratt was still at the jail and his bail was listed as $25,000 cash.
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