Dispute ends with club owner injured
Ranger – A domestic dispute interrupted an otherwise tranquil morning last week, forcing police to redirect traffic around a stretch of the four-lane highway while they convinced a woman to surrender.
Officials say the owner of the Cannon Club on U.S. 64 West refused to exit the building for about two hours Thursday morning following gunshots inside the property.
“When she finally came out of the house, she had pretty severe head wounds,” Cherokee County Sheriff Derrick Palmer said. “There were bullet holes and casings in the house.”
Police were dispatched to the club, which is attached to what authorities describe as a residential structure, around 8 a.m. Thursday. Officials say the woman’s intimate partner told police she fired several gunshots at him, which led to a struggle over the weapon.
“The male subject told deputies that she was shooting at him, so he grabbed the gun away from her and struck her in the head with it before he fled the house,” Palmer said.
Police found the man on scene and later interviewed him at Peddlers Village down the highway from the club. Meanwhile, authorities surrounded the residence and tried to convince the woman to exit the property.
The woman peeked out a window a few times and occasionally yelled from inside the house, but authorities could not understand what she was saying. When she finally opened the door, officials concluded the woman had not barricaded herself in the house in defiance of police.
“She was probably in a state of confusion due to the head wound,” Palmer said. “We believe she was not thinking clearly.”
Officials say the woman never acted aggressively toward law enforcement officials.
“There were no aggressive actions toward law enforcement while we were there,” Palmer said. “The gunshots happened prior to law enforcement arriving.”
The man was taken to a hospital for treatment of chest pain and minor injuries. The woman was flown to a hospital in Tennessee to treat the head wound. No one was struck by gunfire.
No charges have been filed as of the Cherokee Scout’s press time Tuesday, as police try to determine the aggressor in the dispute. The motive for the argument is unknown.
“Once the investigation is concluded, we’ll present our findings to the district attorney’s office for a determination on charges,” Palmer said.
It’s also possible that the Cannon Club will be shut down.
“We spoke with Alcohol Law Enforcement and there’s an issue with a possible residence there, which is a violation of their license,” Palmer said. “ALE will be investigating the licensing aspect of the case.”