JONESBORO – A 42-year old man who, according to court authorities was “on the lam” from Michigan police, remained in the county jail Wednesday after he allegedly discharged a weapon near the town’s elementary school in a dispute with neighbors.

Michael T. Jadu was charged with reckless conduct, terrorizing, criminal threatening, discharging a firearm near a dwelling and discharging a firearm near a school.

Fourth District Court Judge John Romei set bail at $50,000 cash or $100,000 real estate.

If convicted, Jadu could be sentenced up to five years in prison on each of the Class C crimes and up to 364 days in jail on the Class E crimes. A status conference has been set for next month.

Around 7:40 a.m. Monday, deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call on the Bagley Road that shots had been fired.

When they arrived they found Jadu in his front doorway. The Jonesboro man lives across the street from Dwight and Patricia Wallace. The Wallaces’ three children were home at the time. Jadu has lived on the Bagley Road for the past six years; the Wallaces moved in last year.

“Patricia Wallace reported that she heard between 5 and 6 shots and heard [Jadu] yell ‘Dwight you’re dead’ and ‘Three strikes you’re out,'” an affidavit on file with the court said.

Wallace’s husband was outside when he, too, heard the shots. He said Jadu called Wallace’s wife a “f—g b–h,” the affidavit said. Wallace said Jadu was standing in the middle of the road and said he was going to press charges for harassment, the affidavit said.

When deputies arrived, they found a .22 caliber magazine in Jadu’s house. Jadu first told deputies that the gun was hidden in the woods, later he said someone had taken it.

Jadu admitted he had fired the handgun toward the rear of his residence, which was “directly toward the Jonesboro Elementary School,” the affidavit said. School was scheduled to start the next day.

Police found the gun under the couch cushion in the living room. “[The] gun had a live round in the chamber and two in the magazine,” the affidavit said.

The Wallaces’ residence is about 100 yards from the point of discharge and the school property is less than 500 feet from point of discharge, the affidavit said.

Jadu was arrested.

“On the way to the jail [Jadu] said he didn’t agree with the arrest and that it was a neighbor dispute and that he shot the gun because his dog was going nuts out back,” the affidavit said. “[Jadu] also said he wasn’t taking his medication because he can’t afford them.”

When the judge read each of the charges and asked Jadu if he understood, he said at one point “I kinda did none of that, sir.”

Assistant District Attorney Joelle Pratt described “the sheer terror of the situation” for the family.

She said Jadu had a long criminal history that spanned several states including a 1998 charge of fleeing police. She said there was an active warrant for his arrest out of Michigan.

She said the problem appeared to be an ongoing dispute and the night before the incident police were called to Bagley Road because Jadu was playing loud music.

She then introduced a letter that Jonesboro Elementary School Principal Gregory Marsh had sent to parents. Marsh said the school was aware of the incident and was taking precautions. “We are currently preparing for a lockdown of the school should the individual make bail,” he said. Security measures have been put in place.

Norman Toffolon, a Machias lawyer, told the judge that before the Wallaces moved across the street, Jadu had not been involved in any similar incident.

He said Jadu didn’t have any money, did not own the land he lived on and survived by doing odd jobs.

Romei then set the bail with conditions that include no contact with the Wallaces. “He’s already on the lam from Michigan,” the judge said.