A Norridgewock man who started a standoff with police April 22 after shooting his dog and at a neighbor’s house now faces additional charges, including attempted murder.

A Somerset County grand jury in August indicted Nicholas Eckert, 33, on charges of Class A attempted murder, Class C aggravated cruelty to animals, Class C possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, Class C reckless conduct with a firearm, Class C criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and Class C terrorizing with a dangerous weapon, according to court records released to the news media by the Somerset County District Attorney’s Office.

Nicholas Eckert Somerset County Jail photo

Eckert was arrested after a three-hour standoff that drew about 20 police cruisers from several law enforcement agencies to a rural town road.

Police initially charged Eckert with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and criminal threatening, both Class C offenses.

According to an affidavit for an arrest warrant filed with the court, a neighbor of Eckert’s residence on Red Barn Road called police at about 9 a.m., after seeing Eckert yelling about shooting a gun outside her home.

The neighbor also saw Eckert shoot, kill and bury a dog, according to the affidavit written by Detective David Cole of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to the residence on Red Barn Road, near the intersection of Ward Hill Road, according to the affidavit.

When sheriff’s deputies arrived, Eckert came out of his residence with what a deputy believed to be an AR-style rifle and told a deputy to leave, Cole wrote in the affidavit. Police then began to evacuate residents from the area.

Inside the neighbor’s residence, detectives from the Sheriff’s Office found gunshot holes and a broken rear window, “meaning the bullet would have travelled through the house.”

Another bullet hole was found in the side of the house, in direct view of Eckert’s home, according to the affidavit.

A Maine State Police tactical team was eventually able to communicate with Eckert and then arrested him without incident, Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said the day of the incident.

No injuries were reported.

The neighbor is listed as the alleged victim on several of the indicted charges, according to court records. The dangerous weapon named in the charges is a firearm.

Eckert was being held Monday at the Somerset County Jail in Madison, his bail set at $10,000, court and online jail records show.

An indictment is not a determination of guilt but indicates enough evidence exists for a case to move forward to trial.

The grand jury also indicted the following when it rose Aug. 15:

• Amanda M. Black, 32, of Skowhegan, theft by unauthorized taking and criminal trespass, Feb. 5, in Palmyra.

• Christopher Lee Williams, 45, of Norridgewock, two counts of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs and operating a defective motor vehicle, Dec. 5, 2023, in Skowhegan.

• Dongming Liao, 41, of Monterey Park, California, marijuana cultivation, April 16, in Harmony.

• Douglas Perkins, 31, of Skowhegan, one count of sexual abuse of a minor, between, Aug. 1, 2023, and Feb. 27, in Mercer; four counts of sexual abuse of a minor, between Aug. 1, 2023, and Feb. 27, in Skowhegan.

• Damien Mantha, 46, of Solon, aggravated criminal mischief, Feb. 3, in Norridgewock.

• Elijah N. H. Chubbuck, 27, of Skowhegan, aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, burglary, two counts of theft by unauthorized taking and aggravated criminal mischief, May 26, in Skowhegan.

• Hunter P. Dyer, 30, of St. Albans, theft by unauthorized taking and violation of condition of release, April 11, in St. Albans.

• Jason J. Cunningham, 50, of Harmony, two counts of theft by unauthorized taking, April 7, 2023, in Athens.

• Jason J. Cunningham, 50, of Harmony, receiving stolen property and violation of condition of release, between April 19 and May 28, in Harmony.

• Jason J. Cunningham, 50, of Harmony, burglary, theft by unauthorized taking, and violation of condition of release, July 15, in Ripley.

• John Wayne Peters, 63, of Madison, nine counts of possession of sexually explicit materials and failure to comply with duty under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 2013, May 3, in Madison.

• James Daniel Rollins, 33, of Skowhegan, aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, May 26, in Skowhegan.

• Jian J. Wu, 64, of Canaan, two counts of unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs and marijuana cultivation, May 14, in Canaan.

• Kayla M. Bowring, 32, of Norridgewock, two counts of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, Dec. 5, 2023, in Skowhegan.

• Kayla L. Hanson, 24, of Presque Isle, two counts of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, criminal operating under the influence and violation of condition of release, May 21, in Skowhegan.

• Kyle Lloyd, 24, of Skowhegan, theft by unauthorized taking, burglary and aggravated criminal mischief, March 10, in Skowhegan.

• Kyle Lloyd, 24, of Skowhegan, aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs, burglary, two counts of theft by unauthorized taking, aggravated criminal mischief and violation of condition of release, May 26, in Skowhegan.

• Katy Nickerson, 34, of Madison, burglary and two counts of theft by unauthorized taking, April 20, in Madison.

• Mariah L. Cyr, 29, of Norridgewock, three counts of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, Dec. 5, 2023, in Skowhegan.

• Nicholas Trask, 25, of Palmyra, two counts of burglary and two counts of theft by unauthorized taking, March 15, in Cambridge.

• Nichoals Trask, 25, of Palmyra, receiving stolen property and violation of condition of release, June 14, in Palmyra.

• Nathaniel D. Weeks, 38, of Cornville, domestic violence assault, May 12, in Cornville.

• Steven O. Dumont, 42, of St. Albans, violation of condition of release, between Feb. 14 and March 7, in Madison.

• William J. Douglass Jr., 39, of Fairfield, two counts of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, April 10, in Fairfield.

• Xi Qiang Zhao, 57, of Brooklyn, New York, unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs and marijuana cultivation, March 1, in Skowhegan.

• Ying Xia Liao, 55, of Brooklyn, New York, unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs, marijuana cultivation and criminal forfeiture, March 1, in Skowhegan.

• Yibin Zhao, 55, of Norridgewock, three counts of unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs and marijuana cultivation, between April 1 and May 17, in Norridgewock.

• Yao Bin Cheng, 61, of Brooklyn, New York, unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs, marijuana cultivation and criminal forfeiture, March 1, in Skowhegan.