A Vancouver woman who shot her boyfriend in the face with a .22-caliber pellet rifle this spring was sentenced to 18 months in custody on Thursday.
Shari Lee Brown, 52, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to one charge of second-degree assault-domestic violence, with a deadly weapon. The weapons enhancement led to the longer-than-normal sentence.
As part of a deal with the prosecution, one count of first-degree assault-domestic violence was dismissed.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court, Clark County sheriff’s deputies were called about 5:30 p.m. April 19 by a neighbor who said John Bigley, 47, came to his residence asking for help. Bigley was wounded and told the neighbor that his girlfriend had shot him in the face. He then collapsed.
Bigley and Brown lived together at 6803 N.E. 119th St., court records said.
Bigley was taken to the hospital. Clark County sheriff’s Deputy Glen Smyth said he observed an entry wound on Bigley’s left cheek. Medical staff confirmed it was an entry wound and said a CT scan showed a pellet lodged in Bigley’s throat, the affidavit says.
Police attempted to contact Brown, who was inside the home, but she did not respond. A SWAT team and crisis negotiators were then summoned and tried to contact her on her cellphone. She eventually answered, and after about 30 minutes, she removed the barricades from her front door and surrendered to police, according to the sheriff’s office.
Brown told police that she and Bigley had been arguing during the day. He left on his motorcycle for about an hour. When he came home, Brown said she shot at him with a .22-caliber pellet rifle from a back window, according to court documents.
During Brown’s hearing, the prosecutor said Bigley spent several days in the hospital but has since fully recovered. He was not present at the hearing.
Brown told Judge Daniel Stahnke that she’s remorseful of her actions. “I wasn’t raised like that,” she said.
She said she wants to seek help for mental health issues and alcohol abuse.
Stahnke agreed to follow the attorneys’ sentencing recommendation. Brown was given credit for 59 days in custody.
