Reidsville man arrested on assault charges

REIDSVILLE — A Reidsville man is charged with assault following an incident Sunday afternoon.

According to a news release from the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, Claude Nathan Townsend, 48, of 137 Richardson Road in Reidsville, has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and two misdemeanor counts of harassing phone calls. The North Carolina Highway Patrol also charged Town-send with driving while intoxicated. He is being held in jail under a $200,000 bond.

Deputies said the victim told them he was walking his dog near his residence on Wil-O-Pat Road in Reidsville when the suspect drove by him, pointed his shotgun at him, and fired a shot. In self defense, the victim returned fire with his handgun, striking the suspect’s vehicle. According to deputies, the suspect sped off in his vehicle but later returned to the area, and the victim told them he hid until he believed the suspect was no longer in the neighborhood.