A 26-year-old man charged with being involved in a violent domestic dispute in which a shot was fired and who had been a fugitive for almost a year appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court last Monday.
Austin Wayne Monk pled guilty to the charges against him and was sentenced to five years probation. He was sentenced under the provisions of Act 346, known as the first offenders law. If he remains out of trouble during his probation period, he can apply to have his case sealed.
Monk’s case was delayed after he was declared a fugitive December 5, 2022 and a warrant was issued for his arrest when he did not appear for a scheduled Baxter County Circuit Court appearance.
Electronic court records show he was arrested on that warrant in Crawford County, Missouri on November 6, 2023, waived extradition and was brought back to Arkansas and booked into the Baxter County Detention Center November 9.
When he was booked into the detention center he listed Leasburg, Missouri as his address. His case has been continued since his non-appearance at the request of the company that wrote his $5,000 bond.
TANGLED PERSONAL RELATIONS
The relationships between the residences of the area who were involved in the incident are somewhat tangled.
Monk was alleged to live “now and then” with a female and her children at one address. The female’s mother, brother and past boyfriend and father of her children lived in another residence.
911 CALL: SHOTS FIRED
In mid-July 2021, Baxter County sheriff’s deputies were called to an address along H&L Mobile Parkway in Gamaliel to respond to a 911 call reporting an assault with gunshots.
When the deputies arrived, two males — the ex-boyfriend and the female’s brother, who had made the 911-call, met them.
INCIDENT INVESTIGATION
Investigators said the incident began when the brother went to the home where his sister and Monk lived. He told them the former boyfriend had been abusive toward him and he needed help to protect himself.
Monk was alleged to have armed himself with a handgun and accompanied the brother back to the address where the male victim and the brother lived.
When Monk entered the residence, he is reported to have met the victim in the living room area and pointed the pistol at the man’s face.
The victim grabbed Monk in an attempt to disarm him and the pistol went off shooting a hole in the couch. The bullet was reported to have lodged in the floor beneath the couch.
According to investigators, the fight between the males ended at that point and Monk went back to the residence where he was staying.
SURRENDERED WITHOUT INCIDENT
Deputies said when they arrived; Monk “peacefully came outside and surrendered.” The female brought the gun to deputies and said it belonged to her.
There were a number of conflicting stories about how the incident played out, including who was armed and who wasn’t, but after the investigation was concluded, Monk was charged with aggravated assault.
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