A man broke into a neighbor’s home and struck him with a flashlight during a dispute over cats, then pointed a handgun toward an officer, according to charges. Police responded to Harrow Court South in Cottage Grove on Sept. 16.

James Vincent Walsh, 69, is charged in Washington County District Court with first-degree burglary and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. The assault count concerns the firearm encounter with an officer; the burglary count alleges Walsh entered the neighbor’s home without permission and assaulted him inside.

A juvenile witness told police Walsh pounded on the front door and complained about a dispute involving the two households’ cats. She closed the door to get an adult, then returned to find Walsh looking into the home, according to the complaint.