A Missouri man was arrested on weapons charges on July 13 after police allege that he pointed a gun at a woman. According to reports, the man and woman have a child together but have no formal custody agreement in place. The 18-month-old child spends most of the time living at his mother’s house, but the father had the child over the weekend for visitation.
Jefferson City Police say that they responded to a call from the boy’s mother, alleging that the man had refused to return the boy to the mother and an argument ensued. According to the woman, the man pointed a gun at her and threatened her during the argument. She says it was then that she left and contacted the authorities. Police responded to the call and arrested the man in the 1100 Cordell block after he surrendered without incident.
He has now been charged with felon in possession of a gun and unlawful use of a weapon as well as second-degree domestic violence. According to police, they were not able to find the weapon the woman alleged she was threatened with. It was not clear from reports if there were witnesses that corroborated the accusations that led to the charges.
In cases where custody disputes are involved, tempers can flare and situations can escalate quickly, as both parties often believe they are doing what is in the best interests of the child. Presenting a gun in a threatening manner, however, is not a good idea no matter how intense the situation becomes. For defendants already facing weapons charges, understanding the process and what happens in the criminal court system can be a first step to resolving the matter.
Source: connectmidmissouri.com, “Custody dispute leads to domestic violence, gun charges” Dan Claxton, Jul. 14, 2014
