Alabama man arrested Saturday for firing shots in air, hitting man with gun at private marina in Lookout Valley

Red and blue lights of police car in night time, crime scene. Night patrolling the city. Abstract blurry image. policelight policelights / Getty Images
Red and blue lights of police car in night time, crime scene. Night patrolling the city. Abstract blurry image. policelight policelights / Getty Images

An Alabama man was arrested over the weekend after firing three shots into the air and then hitting a man in the head with a pistol at a private marina on Browns Ferry Road in Lookout Valley.

Chattanooga police were called to the 600 block of Browns Ferry Road at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Hamilton County court records. Callers told 911 dispatchers that the suspect, later identified as 47-year-old Michael James Reed, no longer had the gun and they had "temporary [sic] detained" him.

When police arrived, they spoke to the victim who was bleeding from his head. He told police that he and Reed had been drinking and talking when the topic of an ex came up.

"Tempers flared and they began to fight," court records state.

Reed got upset and went to his boat to retrieve a gun and said something along the lines of, "Ill [sic] get you" and shot three rounds into the air, court records show.

Reed then walked up to the victim, which is when the victim tried to take the gun from him, court records state. That's when Reed struck the victim with the butt of his gun.

Finally, the victim took the gun from Reed and threw it over a fence, court records show.

Police were able to find the gun, which had "fresh blood drops on it," according to court records.

Other witnesses at the scene echoed the victim's account, though police noted they had all been drinking and smelled like an alcoholic beverage.

Police also noted the extent of the victim's injuries. He had a laceration on his head and blood was all over one side of his head.

Emergency personnel wrapped the victim's wounds, but he declined to go to the hospital.

Reed was unwilling to talk to police and asked for a lawyer, according to his arrest report.

He was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and possession of a handgun while under the influence.

Contact Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327 with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @HughesRosana.

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