GROVER, Wayne County — A man was arrested in Wayne County after police say he assaulted his neighbors because he believed they weren’t following the governor’s “stay safe, stay home” directive.
Robert J. M. Scranton, 66, was arrested Thursday for investigation of two counts of aggravated assault and DUI.
Just after 5 p.m., Wayne County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a cabin in the Happy Valley area. Upon arrival, two people, a man and woman, told deputies that their neighbor, Scranton, “had come onto their property approximately 45 minutes prior to our arrival and told them both they needed to leave their property due to the governor’s quarantine order,” according to a police affidavit.
One of them asked Scranton to leave the property, but he “refused and began to push” the person, the affidavit states. The other person videotaped the incident.
One of the neighbors “kept telling the arrestee to leave the property, which appears to have increased the arrestee’s aggression. He began to push and swing his fists at (the victim),” the affidavit states.
Police say the first victim continued to struggle with Scranton and was able to open his car door and push Scranton back into his vehicle.
“The arrestee started his vehicle, revved the engine while victim 1 was attempting to get back to his home. The arrestee placed his vehicle in gear at a high right of RPM and drove directly at victim 1. Victim took evasive action to avoid being struck. The vehicle continued in forward motion forcing victim 2 to take evasive action to avoid being struck,” the affidavit states.
When deputies arrived, they reviewed the video and went to Scranton’s cabin to arrest him. They say Scranton was intoxicated when he was arrested, according to the affidavit.