MITCHELL — A Mitchell man was arrested Sept. 7 after a woman told Lawrence County deputies that he pointed a firearm at her vehicle while her two children were inside, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Ricky Edwards, 59, of Mitchell, faces allegations of intimidation with a deadly weapon, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, and pointing a firearm, according to the affidavit filed by Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Deputy Austin McKinley.
Deputies were dispatched at approximately 9:03 p.m. on September 7th to the 100 block of Sonny Dorsett Road in Mitchell following a report of an unsafe shooting.
According to the affidavit, the incident began when a woman was driving in the area with her two children after picking up a stray dog near Bonds Chapel Park. She reportedly said she went to several nearby homes attempting to locate the dog’s owner before encountering a man and woman at their home on Sonny Dorsett Road.
The couple reportedly told the woman that the dog had been seen in the area previously and suggested that she leave it near a neighboring property where it was known to be.
The female told deputies she subsequently drove to an intersection near the neighboring residence and released the dog from her vehicle.
According to the affidavit, a man then approached from the direction of 987 Davey Cox Road and told the woman she could not leave the dog there. The woman reportedly told deputies the man said, “It’ll get shot around here.”
The woman then reportedly saw the man walk to an older gray vehicle, reach inside, and retrieve an object. She told deputies the man brought both hands together and raised the object in a motion she demonstrated to police as pointing a firearm.
The woman reportedly told deputies she immediately accelerated away, told her son to get down and pushed her daughter’s car seat down. She said she feared she and her children would be shot.
The woman also reported hearing a gunshot as she drove away.
After leaving the area, the woman went to her mother’s home and dropped off the children, according to the affidavit. Her mother, reportedly described her daughter and the children as being shaken up.
A couple, who were outside working in their garden when the incident occurred, also spoke with deputies. They heard two consecutive gunshots coming from the direction the woman had traveled shortly after she left their property.
Deputies then went to Edwards’ residence on Davey Cox Road.
According to the affidavit, deputies found a vehicle matching the description the woman had provided and a dog matching the description of the stray dog on Edwards’ front porch.
When deputies spoke with Edwards, he reportedly acknowledged that a woman had driven to the area and released a dog.
Edwards reportedly told McKinley, “I then after she took off, I shot my pistol into the ground.”
When asked whether he pointed the firearm at the woman, Edwards reportedly denied doing so. He told deputies he fired because the dog had gone after the vehicle, and he wanted to scare the dog away.
Edwards reportedly said he fired the weapon twice.
He identified the firearm as a .22-caliber Heritage model and told deputies he had fired the shots into the ground near his vehicle.
Edwards also reportedly maintained that the woman had already driven away before he retrieved the firearm and that he did not point it at anyone.
Deputies determined that the circumstances potentially constituted a felony-level violation, according to the affidavit.
Edwards subsequently turned the firearm over to deputies so they could photograph it and verify its make and model. Officers then seized the firearm as evidence.
Deputies asked Edwards to identify where he had been standing when he fired the weapon and where he had discharged the rounds. According to the affidavit, the location was approximately 30 feet or less from the roadway and faced toward the intersection of Sonny Dorsett Road and Davey Cox Road.
Edwards was then placed under arrest.
Following his arrest, Edwards reportedly told deputies he was unwell and had multiple medical conditions. He also said he was taking several medications. Deputies transported him to IU Health Bedford for medical clearance before taking him to jail. The affidavit states he was medically cleared shortly after midnight.
Edwards was then transported to the Lawrence County Jail at approximately 12:39 a.m. on September 8th.
The firearm and ammunition were processed into evidence at the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
