JAY - A Jay man remained in a Farmington jail Wednesday, accused of threatening family members with a weapon Tuesday night.

Adam Mears, 23, was arrested on a felony charge of domestic violence criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and a violation of probation, Jay police Chief Larry White Sr. said. Police were still searching for the weapon Wednesday.

Mears was convicted in 2005 on a felony charge of aggravated assault and was sentenced to serve nine months and one day of a three-year sentence and three years probation. In the plea agreement, charges of attempted murder and a second charge of aggravated assault were dropped.

The charges stemmed from an altercation in 2004 at a mobile home park in Jay where Mears was accused of stabbing Robert Hart, 21, of Auburn twice. Mears cut off the top of his right little finger when the knife closed on it during the scuffle, police reported at the time.

About 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jay police responded to the Lomie Rivers Road for a report of Mears threatening family members with a handgun at his residence, White said.

When officer Michael Mejia and Cpl. Jeffrey Fournier arrived, they learned that Mears had fled the residence on foot before they arrived, he said.

People at the home reported they believed Mears was still armed with a handgun, White said, and police began to search the area and requested a tracking dog from the Franklin County Sheriff's Department to assist.

Fournier notified White, who saw Mears walking on the Fuller Road and apprehended him without resistance. Mears did not have a firearm, the chief said.

Franklin County sheriff's Cpl. Nathan Bean and police dog, Diesel, had been tracking the woods for Mears but had to stop because the dog was injured when it came in contact with a porcupine, White said.

Deputy Christopher Chase was then called in to take over the track with his dog, Jack, in hopes of locating the weapon.

Fournier transported Mears to the Franklin County jail while White and Mejia continued to assist Chase and Jack in the search for the weapon, White said.

"It is unclear at this time if the weapon was a firearm or a BB gun due to some conflicting information we received," White said.

The search for the weapon continued until late Tuesday night and resumed again Wednesday morning with no weapon was found as of noon.

Mears is expected to appear before a judge in the near future.