NAPANOCH – Pills and guns are rarely a good combination — as Rodney A. Auman, 51, found out on Saturday night. At about 1:50 a.m., Auman was arrested by the Ulster County Sheriff's department after a series of altercations in and around Running Deer Inn on Route 55.

According to a press release from the sheriff's office, Auman went into the bar trying to sell pills to patrons. When one patron gave a pill to the bartender, he was kicked out, but not before a fight broke out, replete with fisticuffs and verbal abuse. Auman left the bar, but threatened to come back with a gun and shoot someone. He made good on his promise, and returned to the scene ten minutes later with a rifle.

When asked on Tuesday, a bar patron who said he was present that night corroborated the police report of the fight, and said that Auman didn't come back into the bar, but instead fled to a nearby residence on Water Street. Neither the patrons nor the bartenders wished to be identified when speaking about the incident. Captain Michael Freer of the Ulster County Sheriff's Department said that the Water Street residence was the home of Auman's sister, with whom he's been staying.

Police officers quickly coaxed Auman out of the residence, and he was taken into custody with the assistance of the Sheriff's Office K9, as well as members of the Ulster County Emergency Response Team.

Auman received a third degree felony charge of criminal sale of a controlled substance, a seventh degree misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance, a first degree misdemeanor loitering charge, and a second degree violation of harassment. Town of Wawarsing Justice Wayne Lonstein arraigned Auman and the perpetrator was sent to the Ulster County Jail on $2,500 cash bail. He had not posted bail as of Wednesday of this week.

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