A Vancouver woman is facing second-degree assault and possibly more charges for allegedly shooting her boyfriend in the face with a .22-caliber pellet rifle.
Shari Lee Brown, 52, made a first appearance in Clark County Superior Court on Monday. A prosecutor said additional charges may be filed.
Sheriff’s deputies were called about 5:30 p.m. Sunday by a neighbor, who said that John Bigley, 47, came to his residence asking for help. Bigley, who was wounded, allegedly told the neighbor that his girlfriend had shot him in the face. Then he collapsed, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court.
Bigley and Brown live together at 6803 N.E. 119th St., according to court documents.
Bigley was transported to an area hospital, where deputies were unable to interview him because he was intubated, according to court records.
Clark County sheriff’s Deputy Glen Smyth said he observed an entry wound on Bigley’s left cheek. Medical staff reportedly confirmed it was an entry wound and said a CT scan showed a pellet lodged in Bigley’s throat.
After Bigley was taken to the hospital, police tried to contact a woman inside the home, identified as Brown. They used a loud hailer, but got no response, according to a news release from the Clark County Sheriff’s Department. A SWAT team and crisis negotiators were then summoned.
Nearby streets were shut down, and residents were either evacuated or asked to take shelter in their homes.
Negotiators arrived and obtained Brown’s cellphone number.
She eventually answered their calls. After 30 minutes, she removed the barricades from her front door and surrendered to police, the news release said.
Smyth spoke with Brown at the sheriff’s office, and she allegedly stated that she and Bigley had been arguing during the day. Bigley left on his motorcycle for about an hour. When he came home, she said she shot at him with a .22-caliber pellet rifle through a back window, according to court documents.
A detective served a search warrant at the residence and reportedly found a weapon similar to the one Brown described. He also found blood on a dirt bike parked behind the residence, according to court records.
During Brown’s hearing, Judge Scott Collier appointed Joel Yoseph to represent her. Collier set bail at $75,000.
