LIBERTY — A dispute between neighbors during Independence Day festivities became a brief standoff Saturday evening, as a Liberty man is accused of pointing a firearm at a resident.

Ronald Wilson, 64, pleaded not guilty to charges of resisting arrest and aggravated menacing in front of Girard Municipal Court Judge Jeffery Adler Monday. He also appeared on a charge of obstructing official business.

According to a police report, officers were called to the Potters Circle area for a person reported with a gun. The responding officer met with a resident, who said he, his family and friends were celebrating the holiday when his neighbor, later identified as Wilson, began yelling and swearing at them.

Wilson went back in his home and came back out a short time later on his back patio, yelling at them again, and the resident and a witness approached him while on their own property to find out what was wrong.

The resident and witness told the officer Wilson pulled out a silver revolver-style handgun and pointed it at the resident before returning back inside his home, the report states.

The resident said Wilson began yelling when the resident started lighting off fireworks, but the officer noted the call time was at 10:33 p.m. — within the time period fireworks are allowed to be discharged in the township.

The resident said other residents were shooting off fireworks, and the officer noted seeing multiple neighbors lighting them off as he was arriving at the scene.

The report states Girard and Hubbard City police were called because of the circumstances and the officers formed a perimeter around Wilson’s residence and took cover — using a cruiser’s PA system to give loud commands and using the emergency sirens to indicate they were police trying to get the resident’s attention.

The report states Wilson failed to comply with commands and, at one point, turned off the lights inside his house.

While the officers could not reach Wilson, dispatchers spoke with Wilson, who called them while agitated and stating things such as he was refusing to leave his home.

The report states officers had dispatchers transfer the call to the officer’s cell phone to negotiate his surrender, and while speaking to Wilson, he said he pointed the firearm at the resident because he had entered his property and threatened him.

When asked what the threat was, Wilson told the officer something along the lines of them saying, “What the (expletive) is your problem,” the report states, with the officer noting he negotiated to have Wilson come outside throughout the entire phone call, but he still refused.

The officer spoke with Wilson’s son, who had no idea what was going on because he had just woken up, but Wilson agreed to fill out a written statement and meet the officer at his front door, after the officer pleaded to get his side of what happened while stressing that he would need to see his hands were empty and above his head.

The report states as officers got closer to the home, Wilson began backing into his home, but the officer was able to negotiate to have him continue showing his hands and not move back any farther.

Wilson invited the officer to bring the written statement form to him, and the officer decided to quickly approach Wilson to take him into custody by grabbing his arm, but a fight ensued.

The report states a Liberty and Hubbard officer helped the officer gain control of Wilson’s arms and he was apprehended, but continued to resist arrest and refused to enter the cruiser.

Wilson was released from jail Monday morning. He’s set to appear back in court on his charges Wednesday, court records show.