A Spring Creek man who faces charges of aggravated assault and discharging a firearm into an occupied structure has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Jeffrey M. Keener, 49, appeared for arraignment in the Court of Common Pleas recently before President Judge Gregory Hammond.

Keener has been in the Warren County Prison since an alleged incident Nov. 25 resulted in charges of second-degree misdemeanor simple assault, unlawful restraint/serious bodily injury, terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another, recklessly endangering another person, false imprisonment, harassment and possession of an instrument of crime with intent filed by the State Police at Warren. Bail was initially set at $150,000 by Magisterial District Judge Daniel Miller.

Further charges were then filed in an incident that allegedly took place on Nov. 19, also in Spring Creek, that resulted in bail being increased to $250,000. Keener was charged with first-degree felony aggravated assault – attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference, third-degree felony discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure, terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another, possession of a weapon, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct – engaged in fighting.

The Nov. 25 incident, according to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, started with a domestic incident during which Keener allegedly pointed a pistol at a woman and threatened to shoot her on Nov. 24. The incident allegedly continued into Nov. 25, when the woman tried to leave her Spring Creek home on foot. Keener allegedly followed the woman in his car, grabbed her by the hair, dragged her into the vehicle and back into the house before an altercation during which Keener allegedly told the woman she wasn’t leaving the residence.

When troopers investigated the Nov. 25 incident, the woman told troopers that Keener had allegedly fired gunshots at her within the past week. Keener allegedly admitted to taking a 22 caliber rifle and firing it multiple times into the floor of the residence near a washing machine while the woman was in the bedroom.

“Keener stated this was done in order to scare (the woman),” the affidavit states.

Troopers applied for a search warrant for the home. During a subsequent search, troopers reported seeing numerous bullet holes within the residence, including the floor and a bedroom wall.

“She was in the bedroom and got out of the bed during the shooting,” the affidavit states. “When she stood up, (the woman) described something went flying past her head as Keener was shooting. When asked why (the woman) didn’t report this incident to the police at the time it occurred, (she) began to get emotional and indicated she was scared Keener would harm her.”

A settlement conference in both dockets is scheduled for April.