Photo: Matthew Aaron Blair
A man accused of discharging a shotgun inside a mobile home with two other people inside appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday. A plea of not guilty to charges of aggravated assault and terroristic threatening was entered on his behalf by the court.
As he has done in the past, 36-year-old Matthew Aaron Blair appeared ready to defend himself. Circuit Judge John Putman advised him against the plan. “You are facing serious charges, and you need to get a lawyer to work on this for you.” Blair was ordered to reappear in circuit court Aug. 6 to determine how he intended to handle the representation issue.
Blair’s latest arrest came when Baxter County deputy sheriffs were called to a residence along Fountain Trail in Norfork shortly after midnight July 10.
The two victims – a male who was identified as owning the mobile home and his girlfriend – told deputies Blair had come into the residence carrying a shotgun. They described the action as “not uncommon.”
The victims said Blair positioned himself at the end of a loveseat on which the girlfriend was sitting. He was reported to have raised the shotgun and fired over the woman’s head.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the shot carried outside the trailer through an open door.
The male victim said he quickly jumped up and asked Blair what he thought he was doing. Blair is alleged to have answered, “Don’t think I won’t do that to you.”
Investigators said the male told his girlfriend to leave, and she complied. He then began calling 911 for assistance. At this point, Blair is said to have left the scene as well.
He was not located at the time, but deputies returned to the house the next day when one of the victims called to say Blair had come back at the residence. He was taken into custody.
At the time of the incident this month, Blair had two active Orders of Protection prohibiting him from being in contact with people not related to the shooting.
A no contact order was also issued requiring Blair to stay away from the victims in the July 10 incident.
In November, a pair of Baxter County deputies responded to a residence in the Lone Rock area for a domestic disturbance.
They made contact with a male and female who told the deputies their son, identified as Blair, came to their residence active in an aggressive manner, shouting obscenities and throwing items. They reported Blair entered a bedroom where his father was watching a movie with Blair’s 6-year-old daughter and began to shout and curse at his relative.
The father alleged his son shoved him in the chest and shoved the mattress into his body. He said he was not hurt, but he felt his and his wife’s lives were endangered. There had been other reports of similar incidents.
After the deputies made contact with Blair, he denied shoving his father with his hands, but did admit to pushing the mattress into his father’s body. During the conversation, Blair reportedly expressed anger toward his parents, and a desire to push his father over a cliff.
Blair was arrested on a third-degree assault charge, which is a misdemeanor.
According to court records, there has been an ongoing custody issue regarding Blair’s young daughter.
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