Steven Wheaton (Photo courtesy of Baxter County Sheriff’s Office)
A rural Baxter County man is accused of attempting to hit another male with a handgun at a local retailer. Thirty-nine-year-old Steven Wheaton is facing a felony count of aggravated assault.
According to the probable cause affidavit, a Mountain Home officer was dispatched Dec. 19 to the retailer at the east end of the Sheid-Hopper Bypass in reference to a male being threatened with a gun. The officer made contact with a male claiming to owe Wheaten money, and he alleged Wheaton attempted to hit him over the head with the weapon. Wheaton was paying for his items at the checkout stand when the officer arrived.
The victim claimed he owed Wheaton money for a past child-support issue and drove up to talk on the west side of the store. The male stated he exited his vehicle and approached the driver’s side of Wheaton’s truck. Wheaton allegedly pulled a gun from the center area, and his attempt to hit the victim with the firearm missed. Wheaton then parked in another space 50 yards away and went into the store.
The officer later asked Wheaton to exit the store and conducted a pat-down for weapons. Wheaton claimed the other male pulled up next to him, began yelling, exited his vehicle and walked up to him continuing to yell. Wheaton alleges he started to roll up his window, but the victim pulled on it, and that’s when he moved to the other parking space.
After they walked toward the vehicle, the officer told Wheaton the victim claimed to know him and owe him money from the past, but Wheaton repeatedly acted like he didn’t know the other male. The officer stated in his report he didn’t believe Wheaton and detained him. Wheaton then stated there was an inoperable handgun in the driver door of his truck and another handgun in the center console.
The officer again asked Wheaton if he pulled a gun on the victim and said authorities would check the surveillance video. Wheaton then reportedly admitted to pulling out a gun but denied pointing it at the other male or attempting to hit him with it.
Wheaton was booked into the Baxter County Detention Center and released nearly an hour-and-a-half later on a bond of $25,000.
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