An Ark City man has entered a guilty plea, and will be sentenced next week in connection with an April incident in which he was accused of pointing a gun at another man.
20-year-old Mason W. Smith was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of stalking during a court appearance this morning in Ark City. He had previously been charged with aggravated assault, a felony, but had that charge reduced in exchange for a guilty plea.
Sentencing is set for Monday at 1:30 p.m. in the courtroom of Judge Chris Smith.
An attorney for Mason Smith had wanted sentencing to happen today, but the judge said time was needed to notify those involved in the case.
Last month, Mason Smith was arrested after he was accused of pointing a shotgun at a man as the result of an altercation that began when the two met at an intersection.
The day of the incident, police were dispatched to the 700 block of North B Street for a report of a disturbance during which a pump-action shotgun allegedly had been pointed at the reporting party.
When they arrived, they contacted Smith, who was sitting inside his vehicle. He was identified as the primary suspect. Smith complied with officers’ commands and a shotgun was located inside his vehicle.
Police said further investigation determined the incident had stemmed from an earlier altercation that occurred as Smith and the other man were on the way to work. Both men work at the same location.
Smith is said to have driven through the intersection of Madison Avenue and Summit Street as the victim was preparing to enter the intersection. This led to a later confrontation after they ended their work shifts.
After work, Smith followed the man home. The man told Smith he needed to leave, but Smith reportedly pulled out the shotgun and pointed it at the victim.
