Maine AG files civil suit against Jonesboro man accused of threatening interracial family

AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) - Maine’s attorney general has filed a civil suit against a Jonesboro man accused of threatening an interracial family.

According to the complaint, the couple was walking with their children and dogs on a private road in April with permission from the owner.

Dale O’Brien, 52, lives next to the private road.

The AG’s office says O’Brien’s wife came out and told the family they could be shot for walking on private property.

Twenty minutes later, the couple heard gunshots.

They say O’Brien came out of his home with a gun, pointed it at the family, and told them to leave.

The husband got out his phone to start recording, and O’Brien put the gun away.

According to the complaint, O’Brien had threatened the family a month before, talking to a hardware store employee about shooting the husband, who is Black.

O’Brien said he was putting spray paint on his no trespassing sign because he had an issue with a Black man who couldn’t read and said if the problem continues, he would shoot him.

O’Brien called the man a racial slur several times to the clerk and said he should be able to get away with shooting him as along as he didn’t have to bring him in and tag him.

All of these incidents had been reported to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

The attorney general is asking that O’Brien pay a $5,000 and not be allowed to contact the family in any way.

If he violates this condition, he could face jail time.

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