Police say man threatened officers with a rifle

An ex-con from Calverton was talked down by Riverhead Police and later arrested last week after he reportedly threatened to shoot at them with a .22 caliber rifle following a dispute with a woman.

Police received a call just before 5 p.m. from a Forge Road resident reporting a disturbance, according to a police report. The man said his neighbor, Donnie Dellagatta, 62, was tearing apart his own trailer, according to a report.

The man had been in a dispute with a woman earlier that day and was reportedly having an “episode,” said Riverhead Lt. David Lessard.

The neighbor said Mr. Dellagatta threatened to shoot at police if they came near, according to a report.

“I got him on the phone, and eventually got him to come outside his trailer” said Riverhead police Det. Tim Hubbard.

Det. Hubbard said he spent more than 20 minutes on the phone with Mr. Dellagatta, before being disconnected and calling him back.

Once Mr. Dellagatta was taken into custody, police recovered a .22 caliber rifle from the trailer, Det. Hubbard said.

Mr. Dellagatta was arrested and charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, due to a prior felony conviction for first-degree sexual abuse.

He was transferred to Peconic Bay Medical Center with lacerations to his hands from punching mirrors inside the trailer, according to a report.

Mr. Dellagatta was arraigned Friday morning when he was released on his own recognizance, court officials said.