BETHEL — A 52-year-old local man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after he shoved an Oxford County deputy responding to reports of a woman lying unresponsive along Annis Road, Chief Deputy James Urquhart said.

Eric Cole Submitted photo

Deputies were assisting the Rumford Police Department with a report of an unresponsive 43-year-old woman at 4:28 p.m. when Eric Cole arrived in his vehicle. Cole confronted officers and pushed a deputy, according to Urquhart.

Eric Cole was wearing camouflage when he was arrested Tuesday afternoon. Submitted photo

Cole was taken into custody with the help of a member of the Bethel Fire Department and was charged with operating under suspension, assault on an officer and obstructing government administration, Urquhart said.

He said the woman was transported to a local hospital and later released. She was involved in a domestic violence incident earlier in the day, but Cole was not a suspect in that case.

Urquhart said investigators are looking into Cole’s claims that he is an Army officer.

“Cole was dressed in camouflage with Army insignia at the time of his arrest. Unfortunately for Cole, the Oxford County deputy that was assaulted at the scene is a member of the Army National Guard and noticed that Cole wasn’t wearing an appropriate uniform or insignia,” Urquhart wrote.

Cole was arraigned Wednesday, had bail set at $500 cash and was transported to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset, according to a corrections officer at the Oxford County Jail.