A Missouri woman was forced to take defensive action with her 9 mm pistol against her husband who, while in an intoxicated state, committed several felonies, including assaulting an elderly family member and discharging a shotgun in her direction, narrowly missing her.
The woman's 33-year-old husband allegedly arrived home after getting his car stuck in the snow. While she attempted to free the vehicle, the man went inside and began to terrorize an 87-year-old resident, knocking her walker out from under her and causing her to fall to the ground. One of the children inside began to scream that he was going to kill them, alerting the mother to rush to their aid.
The woman retrieved her handgun from her purse, but heard her husband, who had retreated to the bedroom, loading a shotgun. As she was helping the elderly victim up from the ground, the man emerged from the bedroom with the shotgun, forcing her to flee with her child outside to the vehicle, where her other child had been waiting. Moments later they heard a shotgun blast, and soon after the husband appeared outside with a different firearm, a scoped .308-cal. rifle. He approached the car where she and her children were hiding, and attempted to open the door—but it was locked. At that point he stepped back and aimed the rifle at one of the children. In fear for her life and that of her children, the mother reacted quickly, opening the door and firing her pistol at the man, hitting him in the chest.
When police arrived, they discovered the man alive, and rendered immediate medical attention. They also discovered the elderly victim inside, uninjured from a round fired from the shotgun that missed her but with her right eye swollen shut and a laceration to her face. The woman told investigators that the man had become “upset and assaulted her.”
The next day the suspect stated that he had become heavily intoxicated after drinking heavily with his boss. He claimed not to be able to recall much of the incident and said he suffers from alcohol and anger issues.
The man was being held without bond at a local hospital, facing charges that include two counts of first-degree domestic assault, one count of armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of weapon. (greencountycommonwealth.com, Bois D'Arc, MO, 2/24/21)
