Man charged in tent-stake assault

A California man in Bangor as part of the state fair remained in jail Monday night, charged with assaulting a man over the weekend with a metal tent stake.

William J. Harper II, 18, a self-professed gang member being held at the Penobscot County Jail, was unable to make a bail of $10,000 single surety or $1,000 cash. He is charged with aggravated assault.

At about 2 a.m. Saturday, Harper struck John Scholfield, 20, in the face with the tent stake and also punched Scholfield’s girlfriend, Amber Tuck, 20, in the mouth and arm, police said. Harper then found himself the center of attention of a group of 20 carnival workers who restrained him. The scuffle left him with some injuries as well.

Harper claimed he had been set upon by a large group of fair workers, although earlier witnesses said that Harper had initiated the fight with Scholfield, reported Detective Joel Nadeau.

Scholfield told police that he, Tuck and another woman were in his tent when Harper approached them, boasting of being in a California gang and accusing them of stealing some of his personal belongings.

Scholfield told Nadeau that he asked Harper to leave, but that Harper became agitated and grabbed a stake from a nearby tent and repeatedly plunged it into the ground. Harper then swung at Scholfield, but the other man managed to avoid the blow and briefly restrain Harper.

In an effort to help her boyfriend, Tuck pulled Scholfield back, but Harper struck again, hitting Scholfield in the face, cutting his nose, according to the police report.

Scholfield said he dropped to the ground and was disoriented, remembering only that someone from the fair had taken him to the hospital. Tuck said that while Scholfield was down on the ground, Harper hit her in the mouth and left biceps.

A dispute with his stepdaughter landed a Bangor man in jail after it was reported he ripped a ring on a chain off her neck Sunday.

Police charged Richard L. Hatch, 46, with domestic assault after the incident at 337 French St. Hatch’s 17-year-old stepdaughter returned to pick up some belongings after recently moving out of the home. She told Officer James Buckley that he became angry with her and ripped the ring and chain off her.

Hatch denied assaulting her, claiming he never touched his stepdaughter, although he did admit to taking the ring. He wouldn’t give back the ring, but relinquished it when police arrested him and began searching him, according to the report. The ring was returned to the stepdaughter.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Doug Kesseli