A Williamsburg man is behind bars in connection with a New Year’s Day shooting.
About 10:11 p.m., Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputies Caleb Hester and Frank Foster were dispatched to a report of a shooting that occurred near the intersection of KY-11 and KY-92E, the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department wrote in a release.
The alleged perpetrator fled the scene in a vehicle and was stopped and later apprehended by some of the responding deputies, according to the release.
At 10:22 p.m., Hester and Foster arrested Jim T. King, 61, of KY-92E, charging him with first-degree assault, first-degree criminal mischief and first-degree wanton endangerment in connection with the incident, according to his arrest citation.
King was lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center where he was still being held as of 9 a.m. Tuesday in lieu of a $50,000 cash bond, according to the detention center’s website.
When Deputy Steve Meadors arrived at the scene of the shooting, he found the male victim suffering from a single gunshot wound. The victim was airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center where he is currently listed in stable condition, according to the release.
According to King’s arrest citation, the victim called police advising that King had allegedly shot him in the leg and had just fled the scene in an older gray Buick four-door passenger car. The vehicle was supposedly heading down KY-92E.
While Hester was enroute to the scene, he passed a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle, and performed a felony stop of the vehicle, which is a 2005 gray Buick Lesabre, Hester wrote on the arrest citation.
King was a passenger in the vehicle and had a 9mm handgun in his possession when apprehended. King and the driver of the vehicle both allegedly told police that King shot several rounds from his handgun and struck the victim in the leg, the citation stated.
During a scuffle prior to King firing the rounds, he had allegedly hit and damaged a parked vehicle. Two other people were present with the victim when King allegedly started firing rounds. King was placed under arrest and transported to the Whitley County Detention Center without further incident.
King and the victim were acquaintances, according to the arrest citation.
Judge Fred White entered a not guilty plea for King during his arraignment Monday in Whitley District Court. White appointed the public advocate’s office to represent King and scheduled a Jan. 12 preliminary hearing in his case. If King posts bond, he has been ordered to have no contact with the complaining witness.
Hester is continuing the investigation. Whitley County EMS assisted at the scene.
