ROCKLAND — A Rockland man who was carrying a loaded handgun when he met police responding to a domestic violence assault is now free on bail.  

Stephan Nicholls Jr., 22, was arrested April 29 and charged with domestic violence assault, criminal display of a firearm, disorderly conduct and failing to submit to arrest, said Rockland Deputy Police Chief Chris Young May 2 in a news release.

According to Young, police received a third party complaint around 2 a.m. on April 29 of a domestic violence assault involving a male and female walking on Ocean Street in the south end area of Rockland.

Officers approached a residence where they believed the two people involved in the assault lived. Officers knocked on the door and heard a male inside say that it’s the police. Officers then loudly announced themselves as police, according to the news release.

Young said that the officers were met at the door by a male who was brandishing a fully loaded .45-caliber handgun.

Officers attempted to gain control of the subject by issuing verbal commands for him to drop his weapon. During this time, a physical altercation occurred between Nicholls and the officers who were attempting to gain control of the handgun. The handgun was knocked from his hands to the floor.

Nicholls failed to comply with instructions and resisted arrest when a Taser was deployed to subdue the subject, said Young in the news release.

Police took Nicholls into custody and transported him to the Knox County Jail in Rockland. He was later released on the same day on $5,000 cash bail.

A court date has not yet been scheduled for Nicholls.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com