FORT HALL — A 28-year-old local man was recently arrested after police say he drew a handgun and pointed it at a neighbor during a dispute over gunfire near a shared property line.

Jesse Lee Maple, of Pocatello, has been charged with felony aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to Bannock County Sheriff’s Office reports and court documents the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.

The incident began to unfold around 4 p.m. Saturday after Fort Hall Police were dispatched to a residence near the Fort Hall-Pocatello border for a report of a weapons offense. Bannock County Sheriff’s deputies were also dispatched to the scene to assist, authorities said.

Upon arrival, deputies spoke to Fort Hall police and the victim, a man who told deputies he was on his property unloading horses when he heard multiple gunshots he believed were coming from Maple’s neighboring property, according to the incident report. The man said the gunfire made him fear for his safety and that of his property. As he and his wife were leaving down their driveway, they witnessed Maple unloading rifle magazines, authorities said. The man stopped his vehicle and began yelling at Maple, demanding he stop shooting in their direction.

The man told deputies that Maple then approached him in an aggressive manner, and after a heated exchange, drew a black pistol from his back and pointed it at him, yelling for him to get off his property. The man said he feared for his life and believed Maple was going to shoot him. His wife, who was in the truck during the altercation, also witnessed Maple pointing the firearm at her husband and screamed in fear, authorities said.

Maple told deputies he had been testing his rifle — which he described as a clone M-16 with a forced reset trigger — by shooting at a tree stump on his property in a northerly direction. Maple said the man hopped a fence, yelled obscenities at him and threatened him with bodily harm. Maple told deputies he drew his sidearm, pointed it at the ground and told the man to leave because he was trespassing, then re-holstered his firearm, according to the incident report.

A video later provided to deputies by a witness showed Maple walking toward the area where the man was standing while holding the firearm in his right hand as heated words were exchanged between the two, authorities said. Deputies noted that Maple had not disclosed that he walked toward the man with the firearm drawn when first interviewed.

The man and his wife both described the firearm as a black handgun. Deputies confirmed that a black Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield 9 mm handgun had been secured by Fort Hall officers at the scene, along with nine Luger 9 mm bullets and one 9 mm magazine, authorities said.

Maple was charged with aggravated assault, placed into custody and transported to the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello.

He appeared before 6th District Magistrate Judge David A. Hooste for an arraignment hearing Monday where his bond was set at $5,000.

He is scheduled to appear in court again May 7 for a preliminary hearing, where prosecutors will attempt to present sufficient evidence to elevate the case from magistrate to district court for trial.

If convicted of felony aggravated assault, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000, with the potential for additional prison time.

Prosecutors are also seeking a persistent violator enhancement against Maple due to his previous felony convictions, which could extend any prison sentence levied against him by no less than five years and up to life in prison. They are also seeking a deadly weapon enhancement, which could extend any prison sentence by up to 15 years.