A fight in Batesville on the evening of Sept. 21 resulted in one man being hospitalized with a gunshot wound and another facing a felony charge, according to an affidavit filed earlier this week in Independence County Circuit Court.
John Wesley Smith Jr., 26, has been charged with first-degree battery, a Class B felony, in connection with the altercation near a James Street residence. According to police, officers were dispatched around 7:45 p.m. to a report of a fight with possible gunshots. Shortly after, an officer attempted to stop a speeding vehicle on Central Avenue, but the vehicle drove to White River Medical Center. There, the driver, Christopher Lamar Tucker, informed officers he had been shot.
Smith arrived at the hospital shortly afterward as a passenger in a separate vehicle driven by Morgan Ramey. Police observed visible facial injuries on Smith, and a handgun with its slide locked back was seen on the center console of the SUV. When questioned, Smith told authorities he had acted in self-defense and admitted to shooting Tucker, though he claimed not to know Tucker's name.
The affidavit includes conflicting accounts of the events leading up to the shooting. According to Ramey, she accompanied Smith to Tucker’s home to discuss comments Tucker allegedly made about her child. She stated that Tucker swung at Smith, obtained a gun from Smith’s back pocket, and began firing at Smith, inadvertently shooting himself in the process.
Tucker provided a different account, admitting to making the comments but claiming that Smith initiated the confrontation by striking him first. Tucker said Smith retrieved a weapon from his pocket, at which point Tucker informed Smith he wanted to end the fight and retreated. Tucker alleged that Smith fired at him before Tucker managed to gain control of the weapon and hit Smith with it.
Smith, who waived his Miranda rights, told police he acted in self-defense after being struck by Tucker. He stated that the gun fell from his pocket during the fight, and Tucker used it to hit him before Smith regained control and shot Tucker. Smith said he did not know how many shots he fired but noted the firearm held three bullets.
An investigator reported seeing a deep wound on the back of Tucker’s neck, which a doctor said appeared to be caused by a gunshot.
Smith's bond was set at $50,000, and his first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 14 in Independence County Circuit Court.