PARIS — A Waterford man was sentenced to a year and half in prison after pleading guilty to threatening another man with a loaded handgun outside an apartment building in downtown Norway in September.

Cory Colby, 34, pleaded guilty to criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, reckless conduct and illegal possession of a firearm in Oxford County Superior Court on Tuesday and was sentenced to a four-year prison term with all but 18 months suspended, along with two years of probation. 

Colby was arrested on the evening of Sept. 19 after Norway Police Department officers responded to an apartment building at 44 Tucker St. to a report of shots fired in the area. 

According to an arrest report filed by Officer Stephen Cronce, officers found Ty Brown at the scene, who said Colby had held a pistol to his head, threatened to kill him and fired a round at his feet before fleeing the area. 

Shortly thereafter, Cronce located Colby walking along the Rail Trail near Marston Street and apprehended him after a short pursuit, according to the report. 

Officer Cronce found a Lorcin .380 caliber pistol in Colby’s waistband with five bullets in it during a search shortly before arresting Colby.

According to Cronce’s report, on the way to Oxford County Jail and after being booked, Colby admitted to threatening Brown with the pistol, in retaliation for an alleged sexual assault against someone Colby knew. 

Colby also accused Brown of stealing from him. According to Cronce’s report, Colby told police that he only wanted to scare Brown and the gun was not loaded when he was threatening him. He told police that he shot off the gun at home to test it. 

Multiple witnesses at the scene told police they heard what they believed was a gunshot during the altercation between Colby and Brown, but officers were unable to find a bullet casing, according to Cronce’s report. 

The gun was owned by Colby’s girlfriend’s sister and her husband. According to the report, Colby told police he took it from the couple’s home, while the gun’s owners told Cronce they loaned the weapon with six bullets to Colby and his girlfriend “because of a raccoon problem.”

Colby was prohibited from possessing firearms following his conviction for operating after habitual offender revocation in Bath Superior Court in 2004.

pmcguire@sunjournal.com