An Arlington man tried to shoot his parents on July 13 after they told him he was no longer welcome at their house, according to a Shelby County Sheriff’s Office affidavit.
Richard E. Blaine, 21, now faces three counts of aggravated assault and one count of possessing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. The aggravated assault charges are C felonies, and the possession charge is a D felony.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office responded the incident at 5:10 p.m. Derrick and Patricia Barnett told an SCSO deputy their son became irrational after an over-the-phone argument and threatened to come harm them both. While four officers were en route, the father called to say their son was already there with a handgun, threatening to shoot them both.
As officers arrived, they spotted Blaine running toward a Ford truck with another man in the driver’s seat, and he got into the vehicle despite the deputies’ orders to stop. As the vehicle started backing out of the driveway, one officer smashed the passenger side window, forcibly removed Blaine and took him into custody.
They found his .380-caliber Cobra handgun on the floorboard, loaded with six rounds and two jammed in the chamber.
His parents said he came inside, threatened to shoot them in the head and pulled the pistol from his pocket. He aimed at them, threatened to pistol whip them and tried to rack the pistol several times, the father said. It seemed to jam.
The Barnetts said their son hit the weapon on a table, trying to clear the jam, again pointing it at them and trying to fire the weapon. Then he fled.
The truck driver, Michael Berra, told officers Blaine jumped into his truck with a pistol, pointed it at Berra’s leg and said, “Go, go, go!” Berra feared the man was going to shoot him.
The Shelby County Fire Department Unit 69 arrived and treated Blaine’s minor cuts from the broken glass. Blaine was taken to Regional One for a medical evaluation.
Blaine was also charged with taking contraband into a penal facility, according to the affidavit. During intake at the Shelby County Jail, deputies found a small bag of marijuana in one of Blaine’s pants pockets. This is a C felony.
On Sunday, Blaine’s bail was set at $74,000 for the original charges. Conditions include no contact or communications with the victims, and he must also wear a GPS tracking device and refrain from using alcohol, controlled substances, firearms or other weapons.
The contraband charge carried a separate $5,000 bond.
His next hearing is at 9 a.m. Friday, July 20, before Judge Ronald Lucchesi, Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court, Division 12.
