AUGUSTA — A 47-year-old Readfield man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly made threatening, foul-mouthed comments to people in a general store in Fayette and to a deputy from the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, after being charged with assault earlier that evening.
Richard P. Barisano also allegedly stood in front of traffic, threw objects at cars driving near the Fayette Country Store on Main Street and banged his head on the cage inside a police cruiser, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed by Deputy Jacob Pierce.
Barisano, who Pierce said was intoxicated at the time, was charged with terrorizing and criminal threatening, class D misdemeanors punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine, and disorderly conduct, a lesser misdemeanor.
On Monday afternoon, while making his initial appearance at the Capital Judicial Center over a video feed from the Kennebec County jail, Barisano pleaded not guilty to those charges.
The attorney for the day, Brad Grant, told Justice Donald Marden that a fair was taking place on the day of Barisano’s arrest and suggested that people were parking their cars on a nearby, 1.5 acre property owned by Barisano despite him warning them not to.
Police first went to that part of Fayette about an hour earlier on Saturday evening and issued a summons to Barisano on a charge of assault.
Around 7:50 p.m., employees of the Fayette store called police to report that Barisano was using swear words, harassing employees and customers and throwing objects at cars, according to the affidavit. Pierce didn’t identify the objects Barisano was allegedly throwing.
When Pierce arrived at the scene, he handcuffed Barisano and interviewed witnesses, during which time Barisano continued to allegedly yell at people and also complained that he thought he was going to have a heart attack, but refused medical treatment when the Winthrop Ambulance Service arrived, Pierce wrote in the affidavit.
Barisano also allegedly accused Pierce of sexually assaulting him and, on the drive to Kennebec County jail, threatened the deputy’s life, Pierce wrote. At one point, Barisano also reportedly apologized to Pierce.
In the affidavit, Pierce states that he was recording Barisano’s remarks during the drive and included a digital recording of them in his file.
During Barisano’s hearing on Monday, he stated that his property in Fayette includes parking space and an auto shop that’s not commercially in use.
After reading the affidavit documenting Barisano’s alleged actions on Saturday, Marden set his bail at $500 cash or $5,000 surety bond, with conditions including no contact with the victims and no use of drugs and alcohol.
“No alcohol: that’s going to be the key here, sir, because this behavior that’s alleged is pretty raw for a person who’s under the influence,” Marden said. “So you can’t have any alcohol while you’re under this bail, you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” said Barisano, who was wearing a green jail shirt.
Barisano also said that he would be securing his own attorney ahead of a dispositional conference on Oct. 3.
Charles Eichacker — 621-5642
Twitter: @ceichacker
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