VSP: Waterbury man pointed loaded gun at another man's head
December 4, 2024 | By Eric Blaisdell | Times Argus staff writerBARRE — A Waterbury man is accused of pointing a loaded gun at another man’s head.
Jason J. Russell, 52, pleaded not guilty by video Monday in Washington County criminal court in Barre to a felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor counts of criminal threatening, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of a crash where property damage occurred, driving with a suspended license and possessing a firearm after he was convicted of a violent crime.
If convicted on these charges, Russell faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in prison.
He was ordered held without bail, pending a weight-of-the-evidence hearing, and was housed at Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans as of Monday afternoon.
Trooper Ryan Riegler, of the Vermont State Police, said in his affidavit a man called police on Nov. 27 to report his vehicle was rear-ended in Waterbury. The trooper said the man reported he followed the vehicle that struck his vehicle and confronted the driver. He said the man reported the driver smelled of alcohol. The trooper said the man reported the driver took off when he was trying to get the driver’s information to document the crash.
A few minutes later, Riegler said another man called police to report an incident that was taking place on Route 2 in Waterbury. The trooper said this witness reported Russell kicked in the door of a home, pulled a gun and held the gun to another man’s head. The witness reported the man who had the gun pointed at him had since pinned Russell to the ground, according to court records.
The trooper said he arrived on scene and located two people on the ground, with a revolver about 3 feet away. He said he immediately recognized the victim, who still had Russell pinned to the ground.
Riegler said the victim reported he walked home and saw Russell on the front porch. The victim, with a baseball bat in his hand, confronted Russell, according to court records.
The trooper said the victim reported he threw the bat into the weeds and then Russell pulled a gun and held it to the victim’s head. Riegler said the victim reported he grabbed Russell’s arm and a struggle over the gun ensued. He said the victim reported the gun was pointed at his chin at one point during the struggle. The trooper said the victim admitted he struck Russell with his elbow multiple times during the incident.
Riegler said Russell was checked out by emergency responders and found not to need transportation to the hospital.
The trooper said the gun involved was a .22-caliber revolver with six rounds in the cylinder and the hammer cocked back.
Riegler said a woman at the home reported she used to be in a relationship with Russell and he had been sending her text messages. The trooper said the woman gave investigators screenshots of the messages, where Russell sent the woman a photo of the gun lying on a vehicle’s seat next to a bottle of what appears to be liquor. Court records show Russell allegedly told the woman he was going to fill the home “right full of holes” and threatened to shoot the woman while calling her names and cursing at her.
The trooper said the woman reported Russell entered the home on Nov. 27 and was searching for her, so she hid in a closet.
Riegler noted Russell drove a vehicle to the home that had the same license plate number as the vehicle involved in the earlier crash in Waterbury.
Russell reportedly has prior convictions for domestic assault that prohibit him from possessing a gun.
This story was originally posted in the Times Argus.