Man Arrested After Gun Discharges During Argument Inside Augusta Walmart

A local man was arrested Monday after the gun he brought to the Augusta Walmart discharged inside the store during an argument with another customer, police said.

Robert Potter, 31, of Augusta was charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, a class C felony, Jared Mills, Deputy Chief of the Augusta Police Department, said in a news release Tuesday.

Mills said Potter pointed the weapon at the male customer when the two engaged in a verbal dispute. The other customer attempted to defend himself by disarming Potter, causing the gun to discharge one round.

Augusta police arrived shortly after the incident and took Potter into custody. He was taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center and remains hospitalized at an undisclosed location for medical treatment.

Police did not release the name of a woman who died after she witnessed the incident and ran to her vehicle. Mills said she died inside the vehicle after suffering a medical emergency. Police said no evidence suggests the woman was directly associated with the incident or that she was anything other than a witness to what happened.

No one was injured by the round that discharged from Potter's weapon.