A 42-year-old man pled guilty to charges stemming from an argument over money that escalated into a physical fight over a pistol and resulted in the discharge of the weapon inside a pickup truck.
Justin Walker of Henderson was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading to charges of aggravated assault, and possession of methamphetamine.
He had originally been charged with the simultaneous possession of drugs and weapons which is a Class Y felony that can carry up to a life sentence.
The state announced it was dropping that charge.
THE INCIDENT
In late November 2022, Walker was reported to have gone to a home along Wilson Drive in Salesville to collect money owned to him by a female resident.
The woman admitted to investigators she was in debt to Walker and that was the reason he had come to her home.
An unidentified male who accompanied the woman to the home, said when they arrived Walker was parked in the driveway.
The couple went into the residence and Walker followed them to the front door, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Walker was alleged to have discussed the debt with the woman and then left and walked back to his vehicle.
The male told investigators he walked to Walker’s truck to pay him the money the woman owed, but Walker would not accept it.
GUN COMES OUT
A verbal argument then broke out between Walker and the male about the debt and Walker is alleged to have pulled out a firearm and laid it on his lap.
At one point, the male said Walker pointed the gun at him and the two men started fighting for possession of the weapon.
The fight ended when the pistol went off, blowing a hole in the roof of Walker’s truck. He is reported to have left the scene shortly after.
WOMAN HEARD SHOT
The woman told investigators she had given the male money to pay Walker. She said she heard a gunshot and went outside where she saw the male running toward her stating that Walker had shot at him.
Walker left the scene in his red Dodge Ram pickup truck. A Baxter County sheriff’s deputy spotted the truck headed southbound on State Highway 5.
The deputy reported turning around and stopping the truck. Walker is alleged to have said he knew why he had been stopped by the deputy. He said the semi-automatic pistol involved in the Salesville incident was setting on the middle console of the vehicle.
JACKET SEARCH YIELDS METH
When a jacket reported to belong to Walker was searched, a plastic bag was found containing a white crystal-like substance suspected of being methamphetamine in the left breast pocket.
Walker is alleged to have said he had just purchased the jacket at a flea market and that the drug must have been in the pocket at the time.
According to the deputy, Walker is alleged to have said he did pull out the gun when he went to the Salesville residence, but said it was in self-defense.
He admitted the weapon discharged during the altercation he had with the male who was at the house.
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