Police: O'Fallon Man Harassed Neighbor, Threw Rocks, Damaged Property

 A 24-year-old O’Fallon man faces eight criminal charges after harassing a neighbor and fleeing pursuing officers Saturday, police said.

Brian M. Barney, 24, of the first block of North Meadow Drive in O’Fallon, was charged Monday with assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, harassment, third-degree assault, tampering with property, two counts of first-degree trespassing and second-degree property damage.

O’Fallon Police said Barney and a friend were riding a moped in a common area and stopped on a property line on North Meadow Drive. Police said Barney began throwing large rocks over a neighbor’s six-foot tall vinyl privacy fence. The rocks ranged from tennis-ball sized to volleyball-sized, police said.

A short time later, the neighbor looked out his window and saw Barney climbing over the privacy fence, police said. When he went outside, he saw someone had opened his pool drain valve and three inches to five inches of water had emptied from the pool.

Later, another person in the same house saw Barney and his companion dropping large rocks over their fence once again.

An O’Fallon officer spotted Barney and began chasing him. Barney was jumping over a neighbor’s fence and damaged two planks, causing about $100 in damages. The officer caught Barney as he jumped another fence, but Barney kept going and the officer fell and cut his knee. The wound required 10 stitches to close.

Barney posted a $15,000 bond after being arrested Monday. He is to have no contact with the victim.