DIXFIELD – A Dixfield man was arrested Monday night following a domestic assault on Weld Street that sent one person to Rumford Hospital.

Michael Patterson, 31, was charged with domestic assault and transported to Oxford County Jail, where he was released on bail Tuesday morning, arresting officer Mark Dow said.

Mexico police caught up to the female assault victim, stopping her car at Harlow Hill Road and Brigham Street, before following her to the hospital. She was treated and released, said Dow, who also went to the hospital to learn what had occurred.

The incident happened between 9 and 9:30 p.m. at the exact moment when Dow was busy with a male driver he had pulled over on suspicion of operating under the influence stop.

“I was dealing with him at the time the call came in and had to leave,” Dow said Wednesday afternoon.

The next day, however, Dow summoned the driver, Charles Lawson, 51, of Peru, charging him with operating under the influence of drugs, possession of a usable amount of marijuana, and sale and use of drug paraphernalia.

In other Dixfield police news, Dow summoned a fifth person on June 18 in relation to the Rollins Ridge Road keg party bust on June 7 in East Dixfield.

Michael Carlton, 21, of Dixfield was summoned for furnishing liquor to minors.

Others summoned included Aaron Ryder, 23, of Dixfield on a charge of furnishing liquor for the party; property owner Joshua Krell, 46, and tenant Timothy Legere, 23, on charges of allowing minors to possess and/or consume liquor; and Dana Kenney, 18, of Carthage on a charge of possession of liquor by a minor. A 16-year-old boy was also arrested on a charge of possession of liquor by a juvenile.

After police broke up the large party, Dow confiscated three beer kegs, which contained about 15 gallons each, a quart of Southern Comfort, and numerous assorted cans and bottles containing alcoholic beverages. Two of the kegs were already empty by the time police arrived.

As of Tuesday, Dixfield police are no longer using Rumford police for dispatching duties, Dow said.

At the June 7 town meeting, voters agreed to follow Mexico’s lead from the previous year and break away from Rumford in favor of having dispatching done by the Oxford County Regional Communications Center in Paris.

For any emergency situation, Dow urged residents to phone 911. Otherwise, for non-emergency issues, residents should phone 1-800-733-1421 and choose option 1 from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department menu to speak with a dispatcher.

However, “you can still call the office for ordinary business” at 562-4517 and leave a message, Dow added.

And until Dixfield gets Enhanced-911, callers reporting emergencies should be prepared to answer some brief questions and provide dispatchers with an address.

As for bail and jail arrangements that Rumford police provided, along with dispatching for $6,300 a year, Dow said officers will bring prisoners to the station and call in a bail commissioner from Rumford.

However, if arrestees can’t be held at the station until they can make bail, they will be transported directly to Oxford County Jail in South Paris, he added.

Switching to county dispatching doesn’t cost Dixfield anything over and above the county taxes they already pay.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link