A 56-year-old Bel Air man remained in jail on $75,000 bond Thursday, following his arrest earlier this week for allegedly threatening his roommate with a shotgun and hitting him with a lead pipe, the Bel Air Police Department reported.
Robert Jeffrey Harris, of the 400 block of Moores Mill Road, was arrested after police investigated a call from a neighbor at about 8:44 p.m. Tuesday, the BAPD reported on its Facebook page.
Officers confronted Harris as he allegedly retrieved a shotgun from under a blanket and disarmed him without injury to anyone, according to the BAPD Facebook post.
Harris had been involved in a disagreement with a roommate and allegedly threatened the roommate with the shotgun and struck him with a lead pipe, police said.
The roommate suffered a large bruise from being struck with the pipe, police said.
Harris is charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and having a dangerous weapon with intent to injure, according to online court records.
The roommates had an argument about getting a ride to Baltimore, BAPD Sgt. Henry Marchesani said Thursday. The victim suffered minor injuries and refused treatment.
Harris appeared before District Court Judge Mimi Cooper for a bail review hearing Thursday afternoon via video link from the Harford County Detention Center.
His public defender, O'Melia James, requested a significant reduction in Harris' initial $75,000 bail, or a release on his own recognizance, since he has not failed to appear in court before. James argued he is not a flight risk since he does not have a driver's license or passport, the result of prior traffic-related charges.
Harris has no record of criminal misdemeanor or felony charges, other than the pending assault case.
The prosecutor, Cristin Treaster, brought up his "minimal" criminal record and asked Cooper to order a mental health evaluation and have Harris held without bond, based on his actions that could be considered out-of-character.
"His behavior seems to an extreme overreaction to the provocation," she said.
Harris appeared coherent during the hearing, giving clear answers to Cooper's questions, and James said he appeared to be competent to stand trial when she talked with him.
"He appears to be competent," Cooper said, deciding not to reduce the initial bond and ordering Harris to have no contact with the victim if he is released.