Troopers testify about incident at Pushaw Lake

BANGOR – Testimony continued Tuesday in the trial of a Glenburn man accused of assaulting a Kenduskeag man and then firing shots at police who came to question him at a Pushaw Lake camp.

Maine State Police troopers testified at the Penobscot County Superior Courthouse that while they were trying to convince 48-year-old Thomas Leonard to step outside to talk with them, he suddenly grabbed a shotgun and pointed it at Trooper Douglas Franklin.

Leonard’s evening on Feb. 15, 2000, started when he allegedly went to the Kenduskeag home of Aaron Spence who was supposed to be building a garage for Leonard’s wife. Leonard was concerned that the work had not been completed and went to the Spence home to get back $15,000 that Spence had been paid, according to testimony.

Spence and his wife testified Monday that Leonard threatened them and assaulted Spence while he was demanding his money back.

After Spence wrote Leonard a check for $15,000, Leonard left. The Spences called police who later located Leonard at his brother’s camp.

On Tuesday, Maine State Police Trooper David Yankowsky testified that he knocked on the door and asked Leonard to step outside or let him come in.

Yankowsky said that Leonard admitted to assaulting Spence, but said he had a right to get his money back.

“He told us to come back tomorrow and he’d pay his $100 fine for the assault, but that he wasn’t going to deal with us tonight,” Yankowsky said. ” … He was very irritated and kept making sure that his door was locked.”

Meanwhile, Trooper Franklin was on the side of the house and moved up near Yankowsky who was standing on the doorstep, according to testimony.

“He [Leonard] picked up a shotgun from beside the door and pointed it directly at Franklin who was by the window,” Yankowsky said.

The troopers backed away from the house and called for backup. The state police tactical unit was called in and arrived about an hour and a half later, he said.

Meanwhile, Leonard was in the house on the phone with a dispatcher at the Penobscot County Communications Center trying to convince her to make the police leave his property.

On Tuesday, jurors heard portions of the 11/2-hour taped phone conversation between Leonard and dispatcher Betty Butler.

On the tape Leonard can be heard screaming at the police.

Also on Tuesday, Leonard’s attorney, Donald Brown of Bangor, took aim at the testimony of state police Sgt. Sean Hashey who investigated the initial complaint at the Spence house.

Brown questioned why Hashey never noted in his police report any threats that Leonard allegedly made to the Spence couple or any injuries stemming from the alleged assault.

Leonard is charged with criminal threatening, robbery and assault in connection with the incident at the Spence house.

He also faces three counts of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon for the incident at the camp.

Testimony today is expected from members of the state police tactical unit who are expected to testify that while they surrounded the camp, Leonard stepped to the door and fired shots in the directions of two unit members.

After one unit member fired back, Leonard gave himself up.

Leonard remains incarcerated at Penobscot County Jail.