A Bloomfield man was arrested for intimidation following an incident in Worthington when he was accused of trying to run over another man with his truck.

George Keith Arthur, Jr, also known as “Kip,” 42, Bloomfield, was arrested by Deputy Marshal Heather Wood of the Worthington Police Department on Friday, June 10. Arthur was booked into the Greene County Jail at 6:43 PM following Officer Wood’s investigation into an incident that occurred earlier that afternoon.

Another man who was involved in the incident was also arrested.

Michael Allen Firrone, 43, Worthington, was booked into the Greene County Jail at 3:41 PM. Firrone was booked in on preliminary charges of misdemeanor possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. His bond was set at $1500 surety with 10% cash allowed. He posted $150 and was released later the same day. As of late Monday, those charges may still be pending but a criminal case had not yet been filed against Firrone.

However, a criminal case was filed against Arthur last week on a charge of intimidation, a Class A misdemeanor. Arthur’s bond was initially set at $5500 surety with 10% cash allowed. He posted $550 and was also released later the same day. He is scheduled to appear in Greene Superior Court for his initial hearing next Thursday morning, June 30.

Officer Wood was dispatched around 2:42 PM on the report that a vehicle was trying to run people over in the area of Second Street and Commercial Street/State Road 67 in Worthington. When she arrived in the area on Second Street, three people were flagging her down and pointing to a dark blue pickup truck that was driving by on Washington Street. Arthur was the driver.

Officer Wood talked to Firrone who said Arthur was mad because Firrone had banned some of Arthur’s family members from the Country Market grocery store in Worthington where Firrone was employed. He also said Arthur was mad because Firrone was dating Arthur's ex-wife. Firrone said there were skid marks made by the pickup truck where it came off the road and then attempted to hit Firrone. He said Arthur came within six or seven feet of him and that he had jumped out of the way.

Officer Wood also spoke to the woman who had called 911 to report the incident. She had been in the grocery store but left when she saw Arthur going after Firrone in the truck. She called 911 and thought the incident was over but Arthur then came back and sped up toward both Firrone and her.

Officer Wood also talked to another witness who was inside the store and did not see Arthur driving toward Firrone but he said when he came out of the store, he did see Arthur racing around and yelling, looking for Firrone.

Firrone ended up getting arrested when he told Officer Wood he would show her where Arthur ran off the road and left tracks in the grass because before getting into her patrol vehicle, he was asked if he had any weapons on him and he said no and pulled the cell phone out and then the officer noticed a smoking device in a pocket then found a zip bag with a green leafy plant material in a pocket.

Later when Officer Wood got back to Worthington, after taking Firrone to jail, she did find tire marks in the grass area and parking lot where a vehicle had come off the roadway, and WPD Officer Ryan Montgomery had located video surveillance of the incident that showed the dark blue pickup truck leaving the roadway and traveling in the area where the marks were found.

When Officer Wood attempted to talk to Arthur, he refused to go to the Worthington Police Department so she went to his residence and he said he had been working all day in his shop and didn't know what was going on. The dark blue Chevrolet pickup truck was parked there and Arthur’s sister explained that she had been banned from the store. Arthur allegedly said he never tried to run anyone over but he did admit he was in town in the truck that day. When told there was video of the incident, Arthur said he never tried to drive Firrone over but he did drive by him and that he did drive his truck off the roadway but he was swerving to miss a cat. He also said he did yell out the window at Firrone. Arthur continued to maintain that he was just dodging a cat but he was arrested and taken to jail.