A Moscow man confronted a woman and three children in his family home Sunday, held a gun to the woman and pulled the trigger, but the weapon misfired, sheriff’s deputies said.

Danny Parrish Jr., 38, was allegedly “yelling that he was going to kill everyone in the house,” Dale Lancaster, chief deputy for the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department, said Monday.

Additional Photos Parrish

“Parrish refused to allow the occupants of the house to leave,” Lancaster said. “Parrish, at some point during the rampage, allegedly held a rifle at the female victim and attempted to discharge it without success.”

Sheriff’s deputies were later told that Parrish had allegedly doused the woman with lighter fluid Saturday night and attempted to light her on fire.

The woman and children, ages 2, 9 and 10, are members of Parrish’s family, but Lancaster wouldn’t identify them further.

Lancaster said the rifle was magazine-fed and apparently a bullet had not been loaded into the chamber.

Police had been called to the house for a report of a domestic disturbance the previous day.

Lancaster said Parrish’s father, Danny Parrish Sr., initially called police about 12:30 p.m. Sunday to say an assault had taken place at the house Saturday night. Cpl. Richie Putnam went to the house and was told by Parrish Jr. that everything was fine and that the woman in the home did not want to speak with law enforcement.

“There were no signs that an assault had transpired and no physical evidence to substantiate an altercation,” Lancaster said.

Lancaster said Putnam later was told that Parrish had allegedly also dumped a bottle of lighter fluid on the same woman the night before and attempted to light her on fire.

At about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the Somerset County Communications Center in Skowhegan received a 911 emergency call from a woman at the Donigan Road home who was screaming for help, according to Lancaster. She said Parrish was in the bathroom with a knife.

Putnam arrived and told Parrish to drop the knife, which he did, Lancaster said. Parrish was arrested without further incident.

Parrish is charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, two counts of domestic violence assault and domestic violence terrorizing. Lancaster said additional charges could be brought once the district attorney reviews the case.

Lancaster said Parrish is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law because he is a convicted felon. He said Somerset County authorities confirmed Parrish has a felony conviction in Missouri. He said Parrish Jr. was convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine and was sentenced to five years in a Missouri prison. He served three years.

Lancaster said the family recently had moved to Maine from Vermont.

Parrish is being held at the Somerset County Jail on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 worth of property. It was unclear Monday when Parrish is scheduled to appear in court, or if he has a lawyer.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367 | [email protected] | Twitter: @Doug_Harlow

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