By Pat Culverhouse
A physical confrontation between a man and his uncle at a Sibley Rd. restaurant Friday has a North Carolina man in hot water with local authorities.
Chief of Police Jared McIver said Joshua Donald Maxwell, 33, a resident of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, is now housed in the parish prison following his arrest as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. No bond reportedly has been set.
According to the incident report, Maxwell’s nephew came to Minden police headquarters to report a fight between him and his uncle outside a restaurant on the Sibley Rd. Officers reportedly were told Maxwell and his employer had been drinking heavily inside the establishment.
Maxwell allegedly came outside to the truck where his nephew was sitting and became belligerent. A physical confrontation ensued and ended when the nephew punched Maxwell in the face, then drove away to report the incident.
Officers were told the nephew did not wish to pursue charges, but did want an escort to a shared Sibley Rd. motel room in order to remove his possessions. The nephew reportedly told officers he feared returning to the room because Maxwell possessed a gun and was a convicted felon.
When police officers interviewed Maxwell at his room, they reportedly found him to be highly intoxicated. During the interview, Maxwell admitted to the fight and said a firearm was present in the room. He reportedly told officers they could confiscate the weapon because he was a convicted felon.
Officers learned that Maxwell, who reportedly was working in Minden on an undisclosed job, had a criminal history in North Carolina. His last conviction reportedly was in December, 2020, for aggravated eluding arrest. He was released from prison one year later.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.