Jury selection under way in downtown Taser. knife attack

Paul Skaltsis (Rochester Police photo)

DOVER, N.H. - Jury selection is currently under way today in Strafford County Superior Court for an upcoming trial of a Rochester man accused of Tazing and knifing another man during an argument near a downtown convenience store almost a year ago.

Paul Skaltsis, then 25, of 135 North Main St., faces four Class B felonies in the incident, which occurred the afternoon of May 6 in an alley near George and Ed's store on North Main Street.

Police say Skaltsis got into a shouting match with the victim, then Tasered and cut him several times with a knife. Several bystanders witnessed the attack, with one of them calling police.

Skaltsis faces two felonies for allegedly assaulting the victim with the Taser and knife and two for being a felon in possession of the two deadly weapons.

The victim was transported to Frisbie Memorial Hospital with what were described as serious but nonlife-threatening injuries.

Skaltsis faces three and a half to seven years in state prison on each of the four felonies plus a year in county jail if convicted of a fifth charge of simple assault - a misdemeanor - for allegedly hitting the victim in the chest with a Taser.

The two gun possession charges stem from his conviction of second degree assault in July 2009.

Skaltsis was indicted on the most recent charges in August.

Jury selection began today and the trial is expected to begin on Friday, Assistant County Attorney Tim Sullivan said today.