Ronald Lee O'Brien

     A disturbance between neighbors over fireworks has resulted in the arrest of 73 year old RONALD LEE O'BRIEN of rural Mountain Home on a felony assault charge.

     At approximately 9:26 PM on July 4th, the Sheriff's Office responded to 69 Swallow Lane on a complaint that a gun had been pulled on some people over a fireworks dispute.  Deputies made contact with the complaining party, who reported that his children and several others from the neighborhood were shooting off fireworks.  Sometime around 9:00 PM, RONALD LEE O'BRIEN came over and started filming the children with his cell phone and yelling at the group, telling them that they cannot shoot fireworks here because it is illegal.  He was confronted by the complainant, and O'BRIEN was alleged to have pulled a small handgun and then shove it in the fact of the complainant.  The complainant was able to disarm O'BRIEN and take the handgun away from him.  Another person unloaded the handgun, while a call was placed to the 9-1-1 center.

     Multiple other people at the location stated that O'BRIEN was the aggressor and had in fact put the handgun in the complainant's face, all because children were shooting off fireworks.  O'BRIEN had gone back to his residence by the time deputies arrived.

     RONALD O'BRIEN told deputies that he was upset because fireworks were going over his house and that spent bottle rockets were landing on his property.  O'BRIEN admitted to having a handgun in his possession when he went over to confront to the neighbor, but he denied having ever pointed the gun at the complainant.  The handgun was seized by deputies and taken into evidence.

     Deputies subsequently arrested RONALD O'BRIEN and took him to the Baxter County Detention Center where he was booked on charges of:

Aggravated Assault - Felony
Disorderly Conduct - Misdemeanor

    O'BRIEN posted $7,500 bond and was released from custody.  He will appear before the Circuit Court to answer on July 16th.

/s/ John F. Montgomery,
Baxter County Sheriff