Buxton police say they arrested a local man on Saturday after he broke into a home on Townsend Road. The homeowner held the suspect at gunpoint in a bathroom while waiting for officers to arrive, according to police.

Joseph Harmon, 48, of Buxton, was charged with burglary, criminal mischief, theft and refusing to submit to arrest. Harmon had also stolen a neighbor’s vehicle prior to breaking into the residence on Townsend Road, police said. Harmon had apparently dropped a gun near the vehicle, which was recovered by police.

When police officers from Buxton and Gorham arrived, Harmon was being detained in a first-floor bathroom at gunpoint by the homeowner, who “showed great restraint and incredible firearms discipline,” Buxton police said in a news release.

“The suspect appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” police said. “He was making unusual statements and appeared to have an altered state of mind.”

Harmon was transported to the York County Jail in Alfred.

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