Bangor police arrested a North Carolina man Wednesday after witnesses reported seeing him punch his girlfriend during a dispute over the sound levels of a car radio.

Authorities were called to the Griffin Road parking lot of the Department of Health and Human Services, where two DHHS employees said they saw the couple in a small blue car arguing.

Witnesses told police that the man, identified as Loyd Willard, 19, would reach over to turn up the radio and in turn the woman reached to turn it down, according to Bangor police Sgt. Thomas Reagan.

The volume level went up and down for a while, then Willard punched his girlfriend in the face, the witnesses said.

Both Willard and his girlfriend denied that he had assaulted her and Willard’s mother came out of the offices agitated. She told the police that although she didn’t witness the incident, she knew her son and he didn’t assault the woman.

A pit bull was in the front seat of the car and Willard told Officer Edward A. Mercier that he’s had the dog since it was a puppy and that the dog doesn’t like violence and would have responded had Willard punched his girlfriend.

“I know that if I had hit her, he would have bitten me; I only grabbed her arms,” Willard told the officer.

Willard was charged with assault and taken to Penobscot County Jail.

A Bangor man sentenced to jail for violating his probation could face more time behind bars after witnesses said he violated the law when he spoke to a witness in the case before a hearing.

William Gordon was in federal court Thursday for a hearing on his probation revocation after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend on Sunday.

His girlfriend was also at court to testify, but she told Bangor police Detective Catherine Rumsey that Gordon saw her and called her a name and used an expletive.

This was confirmed by federal authorities. As part of a protection order and bail conditions, Gordon was to have no contact with the woman.

Rumsey charged Gordon with violation of a protection order and violation of conditions of release.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Doug Kesseli