A Carter County man faces multiple charges after police say he assaulted his girlfriend and fired shots toward a neighbor’s home over the weekend.

Officers of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office arrested Phillip Plale, 27, with a listed address of 229 Carl Smith Road, Hampton, and charged him with aggravated domestic assault, reckless endangerment, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to reports, officers responded to 228 Tiger Creek Road around 11:40 p.m. on Friday on a report of shots fired.

CCSO Deputy Johnathan Simerly said when he arrived on scene he spoke with Richard Hummer, who lives at 228 Tiger Creek Road. “He stated that his neighbor, later identified as Phillip Plale, had shot several times toward his home striking the bank behind it,” Simerly said.

After speaking with Hummer, Simerly said he and Constable Harvey Shaffer and Constable Tim Lyons went to the home where Hummer said Plale lived. A woman, who told officers she was Plale’s girlfriend, gave officers permission to enter the home and search for Plale.

“I was able to find him hiding under a bed in a back room,” Simerly said.

While speaking with officers Plale admitted to shooting his girlfriend’s shotgun several times, Simerly said. Plale pointed the area he was shooting at out to the officers and Simerly said it was an area about 30 feet behind Hummer’s residence, which he noted is across a county road from Plale’s residence.

While speaking with Plale’s girlfriend regarding the incident, Simerly said officers observed several bruises and scratches around her neck and said she told officers Plale had assaulted her before shooting the gun. Simerly said during the investigation officers also learned Plale was a convicted felon.

Officers arrested Plale and transported him to the Carter County Detention Center, where he remains held on a $12,000 bond.

Plale appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court Monday morning for arraignment. Judge Keith Bowers Jr. left Plale’s bond unchanged and scheduled him to return to court on May 9. Bowers also ordered Plale to have no contact with the victim in the case.