A North Augusta is facing a serious criminal charge after allegedly firing a weapon at a Comfort Keepers employee who had come to his home on New Year’s Eve for a scheduled appointment.
Matthew Nieman, 59, is accused of firing a weapon at the employee’s car while the victim was pulling out of the suspect’s driveway, a police report says.
Even worse, when a cop came to Nieman’s home to investigate a burglary alarm minutes later, the suspect answered the door with a gun pointed directly at the officer.
For more crime news, pick up this week’s copy of The Jail Report, sold in local gas stations for $1.50.
A police report spells out what happened n the Nieman case:
Comfort Keepers employee Azzie Jackson told police he went to the man’s home on River Bluff Road for a 10 a.m. scheduled appointment. The company was hired to help Nieman with anything he may need while his wife was out of town.
No one answered, so Jakson followed the instructions and took a key under the mat and went into the home. He opened the door slowly. He didn’t see Nieman but heard him.
“I have a .45,” Nieman said.
So Jackson advised that he was leaving. As he was pulling out of the driveway, Nieman opened the door and fired at him. He was not struck. Jackson informed his boss later in the day.
Meanwhile, an officer responded to the home for a burglary alarm, knocked on the door and announced he was with the North Augusta Public Safety. Nieman opened the door with his gun pointed right at the officer.
The officer drew his weapon and ordered Nieman to put it down several times before the suspect did.
The officer later discovered what had happened with the Comfort Keepers worker. The suspect claimed that he never saw the worker and only heard the doorbell ring several times.
“He opened the door and shot a round to scare whoever the subject was outside,” a report say.
Nieman was charged with discharging a firearm into a vehicle while occupied.
– Greg Rickabaugh