MACHIAS – A Washington County Superior Court judge on Thursday sentenced an Indian Township man to a three-year sentence with the Department of Corrections for trying to stab a Passamaquoddy police chief with an arrow.

Justice Joseph Jabar also revoked the probation of Albert “A.J.” Harnois III, 20, and sentenced him to serve the remaining two years and five months for the July 2002 burglary of a motor vehicle.

During a half-day trial on Wednesday, a jury found Harnois guilty of attempted aggravated assault, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and assault.

The jury did not find Harnois guilty of aggravated attempted murder in the April 30 stabbing of Indian Township Police Chief Alex Nicholas.

Harnois’ plea, made Thursday, that a long prison sentence would not be in his best interest did not play well with the judge. The Passamaquoddy said he wanted to attend college and become an example to his siblings. He also told the judge that “he had started down the wrong path” and wanted to do something with his life.

“It hurts me more than anything to see them sitting here holding back their tears,” he said of his siblings.

During sentencing, the judge addressed Harnois’ long criminal record that began four years ago, when Harnois was 16. He also said that Harnois had not taken probation seriously, having violated it on three separate occasions.

“The court has given you a chance with probation, and there are only so many chances that a court is willing to give,” Jabar said. “Hopefully, you will learn from this.”

Harnois was charged with four counts of stabbing the police chief after he resisted arrest.

Nicholas was wearing a Kevlar protective vest and was not injured, but Harnois thrust the arrow hard enough to bend the shaft.

The officers had gone to the house of Harnois’ cousin in response to a complaint from the young man’s father, who said his son had assaulted him.

When they got to the house, Harnois was hiding in a back bedroom because he thought the officers wanted him for failing to pay restitution for a broken window. Harnois was discovered behind a bedroom door, a compound bow with a notched arrow in his hand.

Nicholas was able to grab the bow and take it away from Harnois while Indian Township Sgt. Chris Tinker tried to restrain him. The chief dropped the bow and arrow on the floor.

Harnois resisted being handcuffed, and both officers had to restrain his arms and eventually take him to the floor. The bow and arrow ended up underneath Harnois.

Tinker was able to force Harnois’ left hand behind his back and Nicholas let go of Harnois’ right arm as he tried to put the handcuff around his left wrist.

Harnois lifted his upper body off the floor, grabbed for the arrow that was under him and with his right hand, drove it into Nicholas.

During the half-day trial, jurors were shown the broken arrow. Harnois’ attorney, Norman Toffolon of Machias, tried to convince jurors that the arrow broke while Harnois was lying on it. He said it did not break by being thrust into Nicholas’ chest.

Assistant District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh said, however, that Harnois intended to hurt the police chief and it was only because the police officer was wearing a safety vest that he wasn’t injured.