A Hot Springs man was arrested early Thursday after shooting a woman in the arm and leg and claiming it was an accident, but he reportedly forced her to cut the bullet out of her arm, fearing it had his fingerprints on it.
Christopher Odell McCoy, 36, who lists a Hobson Avenue address, was taken into custody at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs around 6:30 a.m. Thursday and charged with felony counts of second-degree battery and aggravated assault, each punishable by up to six years in prison.
McCoy was released Friday on $5,000 bond and is set to appear Oct. 8 in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday, Hot Springs police responded to the emergency room at CHI regarding a woman who had reportedly been shot. They spoke to the woman who had gunshot wounds to her left arm and to her left leg at the knee, both with entrance and exit wounds.
The woman stated she had gone to a residence in the 100 block of Pinewood Street to visit a friend when a man, later identified as McCoy, came inside the house waving a gun around. She said the man was upset about all the people at the residence.
McCoy's gun discharged while he was waving it around and the projectile ricocheted off a table and struck the victim in the knee, with the bullet traveling up and out her leg and into her left arm. The woman said she wasn't sure if the shooting was an accident or on purpose.
A female witness said she was at the residence when a man came in yelling. She said she heard a gunshot and then heard a woman "moaning in pain." She went into the living room and found the victim on the living room floor with gunshot wounds.
The affidavit states McCoy forced the victim to "cut the projectile out of her arm" before taking her to the hospital. He said he was afraid his fingerprints would be on the projectile.
McCoy and the witness reportedly drove the victim to the hospital for treatment. McCoy initially denied being the shooter when questioned at the hospital, but after being brought to the police department and read his rights, he allegedly admitted to accidentally shooting her.
Another female witness stated McCoy came into the residence and was "yelling and agitated." She said he had a semi-automatic handgun holstered at his side and pulled it out at one point and pointed it at her. She said he told her to "shut up" while pointing the gun at her.
Local on 09/28/2019