An Alliance man was taken into custody for a host of felony charges, including attempted manslaughter, after firing gun at his significant other during a domestic dispute.
Jason Smith, 28, of Alliance, was taken into custody on April 18 after Alliance Police Department officers were dispatched to the 300 block of South Grand Avenue following the report of shots being fired. The report came in at approximately 10:21 p.m.
According to the Affidavit for Custody, officers made contact with a female subject who told them that the father of her children fired a gun at her. She identified the man as Jason Smith. She told officers she and Jason were in an argument. As she was leaving the bedroom, she noted that Smith was lying on the bed. She told officers that while she was closing the door “she heard a loud bang and felt ‘stuff’ (debris) hit her right ear.”
The officers, according to the affidavit, noticed a hole in the door. She also indicated the location of the gun used in the incident.
The subject told officers that Smith had left the apartment, running in the direction of South Potash Avenue. Officers located Smith in the 100 block of South Potash and took him to the Police Department for questioning. Officers noted in the affidavit that, “Initially Jason stated he was asleep and did not know what happened but when presented with the location of the bullet hole in conjunction with the area in which he was laying, Jason admitted to intentionally pointing the gun and pulling the trigger. Jason stated he didn’t think there was a bullet in the chamber.”
Smith was booked into the Box Butte County Jail. He is facing the charges of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, a class 1C felony, unlawful discharge of a firearm, a class 1D felony, attempted manslaughter, a class 2A felony, terroristic threats, a class 3A felony, and third degree domestic assault, a class 1 misdemeanor.
If he is found guilty, he faces up to 50 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison for the 1C felony.
Smith made his first appearance in Box Butte County Court on Tuesday, and had his bond set at 10 percent of $100,000.