BELFAST — A Unity man was indicted by a Waldo County Grand Jury Sept. 21 on nine counts related to holding a former partner at gunpoint in an incident that lasted several hours.

Aaron Nickerson, 47, of Unity,  was indicted following an incident that occurred in Montville Aug. 9. 

He was charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, theft by unauthorized taking, domestic violence criminal threatening, domestic violence terrorizing, domestic violence assault, criminal trespass, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and criminal mischief. 

The incident came to police attention after a woman reported to Waldo County Dispatch of being in danger of being shot. The person relayed additional information that the driveway to the home in question has a driveway sensor, and Nickerson would allegedly kill them if the police arrived. 

Waldo County Sheriff’s Sergeant Cody Laite and several deputies responded, where they staged at a nearby intersection to make a plan, according to the report. Nickerson and the woman had reportedly previously had a relationship.

According to police, Nickerson had been convicted of domestic violence assault in April. 

A perimeter was set around the residence, with law enforcement taking special care not to trigger the driveway sensor, the report said.

Deputies were able to secure the front and sides of the home from the road. The victim, who had maintained contact with dispatch throughout the ordeal, was advised to exit the home while using her cell phone light to let law enforcement know it was her, the report said.

After a considerable time, the victim appeared and began walking down the driveway. Once safely with police, the victim advised that she believed Nickerson was running.

A person believed to be Nickerson was then spotted walking quickly down the driveway holding what looked like a cell phone, according to the report.

Once he entered the roadway, Sgt. Laite reported giving commands, which were allegedly ignored by Nickerson, and who started running back up the driveway. Another officer deployed his taser before Nickerson reached the residence and Nickerson was taken into custody. 

The victim reportedly said he incident began around 11:30, when she was bringing her dog in for the night and preparing for bed, according to the report.

She stated that her front door was not locked, which is how Nickerson entered the residence.

Nickerson allegedly told the victim they needed to talk, which she declined to do; instead she told him to leave. She said he held a gun to her head, and allegedly to have slapped the victim on each side of her head, then struck her in the head with her phone; he also struck her on the head with the gun, and in the legs.

When asked how long the ordeal lasted, the victim stated that it had been going on for a long time and she didn’t know what to do, so she pretended that she was unconscious so Nickerson would stop.

Eventually the victim was able to use the bathroom without Nickerson following her, and she was able to make her escape, she said.

Nickerson is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 29, for his arraignment. 

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, almost 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. One in four women and one in nine men experience severe intimate partner physical violence. The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500 percent.

October was chosen as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October 1987 as a way “to connect and unite individuals and organizations working on domestic violence issues while raising awareness for those issues,” according to NCADV

Anyone experiencing domestic violence, or who knows someone experiencing domestic violence can find support locally, via New Hope for Women, or by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800)-787-3224.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com