A Slippery Rock man charged with firing a shotgun blast during a domestic dispute continues to be held in the Butler County Prison after a writ of habeas corpus was denied in county court.

Andrew J. Walters, 25, continues to be held on $100,000 bail on charges of three felony charges of aggravated assault, three counts of misdemeanor simple assault, two counts each of terroristic threats and reckless endangerment, and one count of disorderly conduct, following a written order issued Wednesday, after county Judge William Shaffer heard arguments on June 16.

A writ of habeas corpus is a court order to a person or agency holding someone in custody to deliver the imprisoned individual to the court issuing the order and to show a valid reason for that person's detention, according to www.FindLaw.com.

Walters was charged after an incident at his home at 148 Church Road at 1:45 p.m. Feb. 22. Police allege that Walters fired a shotgun blast at two women and a 4-year-old boy in a vehicle.

Walters' attorney, Stephen Misko, filed a petition on May 23, arguing Walters' Fourth Amendment rights had been violated after insufficient evidence was produced at the preliminary hearing on March 15 to bound over the aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment charges.

This was based on testimony from the victims of the alleged incident, Alexandra Cipriani, who testified that the vehicle was out of the driveway at the time the shot was fired and she wasn't able to say in which direction it had been fired.

“The discharge was clearly well after they had exited the driveway,” Misko said during the June 16 proceeding. “The record also shows that he never pointed the firearm at them.”

Misko argued that there was not sufficient evidence for the aggravated assault charges, and therefore the bail attached to the case was not appropriate.

Shaffer disagreed in his ruling, stating “the Court finds the Commonwealth presented sufficient evidence to meet its burden of putting forth a prima facie case.”

“Despite the lack of injuries sustained in this case, viewing the totality of the circumstances in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, there was some evidence presented to establish that the Defendant attempted to cause bodily injury with a deadly weapon when he discharged a shotgun during or following the argument with Ms. Cipriani,” the opinion states.

The incident began after an argument between Walters and Cipriani when she went to the home to pick up some of her belongings, with her stepmother and 4-year-old brother, according to the opinion.

While the women and child were at the house, Walters returned and began arguing with her, before coming out of the basement with a gun. The women attempted to leave in a vehicle, when Walters allegedly yelled something and pointed the gun at them before firing a blast.

They eventually drove to a convenience store in Brady Township and called police. Walters was then arrested and charged.

He case is scheduled for conferences on Aug. 14 and 16, with jury selection beginning Aug. 17, and a trial scheduled for Aug. 28.