FREMONT – A Sullivan County man was charged with reckless endangerment and other felonies after he allegedly fired a handgun at a car occupied by a couple with whom he was having a dispute, state police reported Wednesday.
The alleged incident happened Sunday afternoon on Warner Road in the town of Fremont.
According to state police, a preliminary investigation revealed a 23-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man engaged in a verbal and physical fight with John Paterno, 51, of Callicoon, near his residence shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
State police said the parties separated following the dispute, and the couple left the scene shortly afterward.
However, Paterno followed the couple in a Ford Fusion and fired multiple rounds from a handgun at their 2008 Honda CRV, which state police said resulted in a collision between the two vehicles.
Both parties separated after the shooting and police were called.
Paterno was located at his residence and arrested without incident. He was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and third-degree criminal mischief, all felonies.
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State police said they later recovered the firearm used in the shooting at Paterno’s residence.
Paterno was arraigned in the Town of Liberty Court and sent to the Sullivan County jail in lieu of $50,000 cash bail, $100,000 bond or $250,000 partially secured bond, pending further court action.
The name of Paterno’s attorney was not immediately available.
State police did not disclose further details about the dispute between Paterno and the couple.
Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Fremont dispute escalates to shooting at occupied car