CONCORD - An argument about a wayward bull between two stepbrothers led to one of them firing a shotgun three times into the ground near the other, with one shot so close it kicked up dirt into the other man's mouth, according to court records.

Brian J. Downs, 28, of 22 S. Emperor Drive, said little during his video arraignment Monday in 6th Circuit Court, Concord District Division, on felony charges of two counts of reckless conduct and criminal threatening.

He is accused of firing three shotgun shells at the feet of his step-brother Michael Lassonde at 6:44 p.m. Saturday outside Lassonde's 63 Bog Road farm. Four minutes earlier, Downs allegedly rammed Lassonde's pickup truck with his Jeep, trying to push it into oncoming traffic at the intersection of Bog and Fisherville Road.

John Downs told the New Hampshire Union Leader that the incident began when his son called Lassonde to tell him his bull had gotten loose earlier in the day. It later was found on Bog Road.

According to court documents, the two men got into a heated argument over the bull and Downs said Lassonde punched him several times in the left side of his forehead. He said he never laid a hand on Lassonde. According to the affidavit of Officer Brian J. Cregg, the left side of Downs' forehead was swollen.

Lassonde, however, told police Downs threw the first punch, which landed by his right eye and he punched him back, giving him a "goose egg" to his forehead.

After the fight, both men got into their vehicles to head to Lassonde's farm. Lassonde said Downs was behind him in his Jeep when he stopped in the left turn lane to go onto Bog Road. Downs, he alleged, rammed his truck with his Jeep and tried to push him out into the intersection. Police said the damage on both vehicles was consistent with what Lassonde reported.

Lassonde said when he arrived home, Downs was already there. Lassonde was yelling as he walked toward Downs who went to his Jeep and took out a Mossberg shotgun. Lassonde told police as he walked towards Downs, his step-brother fired the shotgun into the ground in his direction. The third shot was right by his feet and kicked up some dirt that landed in his mouth, he told Clegg.

Lassonde said he walked away because the shot was so close to him.

Downs admitted he fired the shotgun three times into the ground but said did it because he was in fear due to the earlier fight and because he wanted to unload the gun, Clegg wrote in his affidavit. Downs told police Lassonde did not threaten him, did not say he was going to kill him or beat him up and did not have a weapon.

Downs denied the shots came close to Lassonde. Police located three large impact spots in Lassonde's dirt driveway and recovered three spent plastic casings on the ground. Lassonde said he was wearing work boots at the time and police said there were footprints in the dirt near where the shots hit the ground.

John Downs told the judge the incident started when Lassonde assaulted his son. Mr. Downs, who adopted Lassonde but is divorced from Lassonde's mother, said Lassonde has always been a bully, dating back to his high school years, who tries to intimidate people into fighting. The day of the incident, he said, Lassonde told Brian Downs he was going to kill his pigs which he keeps at Lassonde's farm.

"The big mistake Brian made was not calling police when he was assaulted," Mr. Downs said.

Sean Downs, Brian's brother and step-brother to Lassonde, said Lassonde started the fight and he pulled him off Brian Downs.

"Well, some of it's bull and some of it isn't," Mr. Downs said after the hearing.