AUGUSTA, Maine - A Maine man accused of shooting a firearm into a neighbor's farm stand has pleaded not guilty, saying he was trying to scare off a rabid raccoon.
State police say 31-year-old Matthew Brigham was arrested Tuesday after neighbors reported seeing a man with a gun. The Kennebec Journal reports that he was arraigned Wednesday in Augusta on charges including reckless conduct.
State Trooper Travis Luce says a witness watched Brigham fire a gun into the air several times, then fired at a nearby farm stand and then into the ground.
Brigham says he fired his gun to scare a rabid raccoon. His weapons have been confiscated, and he has been released on bail.
He is due back in court in November and says he's applied for a court-appointed attorney.