SKOWHEGAN — A Lewiston man staying at a local homeless shelter was arrested Thursday after allegedly threatening a bar owner with a knife after he applied for a job, asked for a beer and was denied service because he had no money.
Kenneth Ouellette, 47, was arrested Friday and charged with criminal threatening, said Detective Sgt. Josh King, of the Skowhegan Police Department.
Eric Dore, owner of the Old Mill Pub, said Ouellette regularly comes into the Water Street restaurant and the staff normally gives him food and water, although he often cannot pay.
On Thursday, Ouellette filled out an application for a job at the pub, Dore said. When Ouellette emptied the contents of his pocket onto the bar, Dore saw he had a knife. Ouellete asked for a beer, but Dore denied the request because Ouellete had no money to pay for it.
“He was harmless up to that day,” Dore said. “I offered him something to eat, but he said he wanted a beer and got upset because we denied him a beer since he had no money.”
Ouellette then left the restaurant but returned about an hour later, and Dore said he started threatening him outside.
“He said he couldn’t confirm I was the owner and he didn’t believe I was,” Dore said. He asked Ouellette to stay out of the restaurant because he knew Ouellette had a knife and feared he would use it, he said.
Dore said Ouellette said he would go into the restaurant, then pulled the knife out, threatening Dore.
“He took the blade out and pointed it right at me and started coming at me,” Dore said. “He seemed to have every intention of using it.”
Dore called 911 and said Ouellette threw the knife into the Kennebec River when he heard him on the phone giving police a description of him.
“The response time by the police was great,” Dore said. “They came within minutes of my call. Because of the Skowhegan Police Department, a potentially dangerous issue was resolved, and I thank them for that.”
The charge is a felony because of use of a weapon, King said.
Ouellette was staying at the Trinity Evangelical Free Church men’s shelter at the time of his arrest.
Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
Twitter: @rachel_ohm