After a lengthy and emotional trial, Fletcher Eastham of

After a lengthy and emotional trial, Fletcher Eastham of Flint Hill was found not guilty of brandishing a firearm at Roderick “Groundhog” Kirkpatrick.

Mr. Kirkpatrick filed the warrant against Mr. Eastham after an incident on October 19, when Mr. Kirkpatrick went to hunt groundhogs on property known as “the Rucker’s place,” owned by Mr. Eastham’s parents. Mr. Kirkpatrick has been hunting groundhogs on Rucker’s Farm and on Ben Venue, also owned by Mr. Eastham’s parents, with permission of the owner for around ten years.

Mr. Kirkpatrick testified that Mr. Eastham had fired warning shots over his vehicle with an Automatic Rifle 15 (AR15) and had then come over to the vehicle and threatened to kill him. According to Mr. Kirkpatrick’s testimony, Mr. Eastham also tried a couple of times to engage him in a fist fight.

Mr. Eastham testified that he was not carrying a gun when he spoke with Mr. Kirkpatrick and asked him to get off the property. Mr. Eastham’s wife also testified that her husband’s only gun — a Heckler and Kotch 223 — had been disassembled on the kitchen table at the time.

A second witness for the defendant, John George Cadden, testified that he had purchased the AR 15 from the defendant prior to the October 19 incident.

Commonwealth Attorney Peter Luke argued that both the AR 15 and the H&K 223 are of the same caliber, are of a military design and are automatic and could therefore be mistaken for one another by someone not familiar with the weapons. Mr. Luke also stated that the cocking motion described by Mr. Kirkpatrick is similar for both guns.

Judge Lynn said that he had not been satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant had brandished a weapon at Mr. Kirkpatrick.

In another emotional case concerning a firearm, the defendant, Norma Williams, was also found not