On the weekend of his 22nd birthday, a Berks County man was locked up on assault-related charges after he allegedly fired a handgun twice at a pickup truck that was occupied by his father outside a cabin in McHenry Township, according to a Tiadaghton Valley Regional police affidavit.

Darin McCartan, of Birdsboro, first “fired three rounds into the air and then proceeded to fire two more rounds at the truck, at least one of them striking the vehicle,” police said in court documents. The alleged incident occurred outside a cabin in the 8900 block of Route 414 near Cammal sometime Saturday afternoon, police said.

Police said the trouble started as McCartan, his father, Dennis, and a woman identified as Julie Watson were returning in the father’s truck to a cabin from a trail run.

“Watson explained Darin got upset about something that happened years ago, and grabbed her sunglasses off the top of her head, pulling her hair. Darin broke the glasses and threw them at Watson,” police were told.

The father, who was driving, stopped the vehicle near the access to Hamilton Bottom, and all three occupants got out of the truck, police were told.

“Darrin attacked his father and put him in a chokehold. Watson was able to talk Darin into letting his father go. She thought Darin was going to kill his father,” police were told.

The father and son got back in the truck and headed to a cabin (where they supposedly were staying), police said, adding that Watson, afraid of getting back in the vehicle, opted to walk the rest of the way to the property. The father told police that on the way to the cabin, his son “choked him and bit his ear,” the affidavit stated. Upon arriving at the cabin, the son “went inside and packed his belongings” while the father waited in the truck, police said. As the father was getting ready to pull away to look for Watson, his son got in his 2013 Nissan Sentra, drove out around him, blocking the roadway, police were told.

Darin McCartan got out of the car with a handgun, fired three times into the air and then pointed the weapon at his father before firing two more rounds “in the direction of the truck,” police alleged. The son jumped back in the car and sped off. The father then proceeded to look for Watson, fearing that his son might harm her, police said.

“During the drive, the rear driver’s side tire went flat,” having been struck by one of the rounds fired by Darin, police said.

Police said their investigation began when they were notified “several hours” after all this had happened. Darin McCartan, taken into custody at an undisclosed location, was arrested on charges of aggravated and simple assault, strangulation, discharging a firearm into a structure or vehicle, recklessly endangering and possession of an instrument of crime. Following his arraignment before District Judge Aaron Biichle, he was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $85,000 bail.