MASSENA - A Massena man reportedly shoved his father-in-law down wooden stairs onto a concrete pad and then punched him twice in the face following an argument Sunday afternoon.

Massena-based state police charged Bruce J. Rogers, 45, of South Raquette River Road, Massena, with second-degree assault. He was arraigned before Massena Town Justice Gerald P. Sharlow and released on his own recognizance. The court signed a temporary no contact order of protection.

John Dufresne, 70, was treated at Massena Memorial Hospital for lacerations, contusions and pain following the attack, according to court documents.

The argument took place after Mr. Dufresne and his wife, Laura, County Route 55, Brasher, took their granddaughter home Sunday afternoon. She had stayed with her grandparents while her parents were on vacation.

Mr. Dufresne said while his granddaughter was at their house she had taken an Ipod from one of her cousins on Saturday and lied about it before admitting she had placed it in her backpack. “I told (her) that she needed to tell her mom and dad when we brought her home on Sunday. She said she would,” he noted in his statement to police.

But he said his granddaughter said she couldn’t remember what she was supposed to tell her parents when he asked her about it in front of her parents. He said Rogers then went into a separate room with his granddaughter for approximately 5 minutes.

“Bruce started screaming at me and my wife, claiming we accused Kate of something she did not do. Bruce shoved me and told me to get out of this house,” he added.

Mr. Dufresne said he was trying to speak to his daughter and told Rogers he would leave when he was ready. His wife, Laura, told troopers her husband told Rogers he should teach his daughter to tell the truth.

“Bruce then grabbed me by (my) neck with both of his hands. He picked me up by my neck and then threw me out the door. I went down four or five steps and landed on a concrete slab,” Mr. Dufresne noted in his statement to police.

He said after he got oriented again he stood up and Rogers again told him to leave. “I told him I wasn’t ready to leave. Bruce said he was going to make me leave. Bruce then punch(ed) the left side of my face with his right fist. Bruce punched me more than once, but I do not know how many times he did. Bruce grabbed me a second time and threw me into the grass,” he added.

Mr. Dufresne said he stood up, walked back on to the slab and another conversation took place with him again telling Rogers he wasn’t ready to leave. He said Rogers eventually went back into his residence.

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