Florida man accused of pistol-whipping and shooting friend in both legs during drunken bawl on August 11
DE LEON SPRINGS, FLORIDA: A Florida man has been arrested after allegedly pistol-whipping and shooting his friend in both legs in the disturbing altercation.
Thomas Arney has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after he reportedly assaulted his friend in the early hours of Friday morning, August 11, reported New York Post.
Who is Thomas Arney?
Arney, was taken into custody following the incident and is currently booked into Volusia County Branch Jail and his bail has been set at $25,000. The disturbing incident took place around 4.00 am on Desoto Avenue.
Officers responded to the incident shortly after the shooting took place on Friday. The victim who suffered gunshot wounds in each of his legs was already being transported to the hospital.
Upon the officer's arrival at the scene, Arney was still present and recounted to the authorities that the altercation began during a heated drunken argument.
According to the press release issued by the Volusia Sheriff's Office, "[Arney] told deputies he and his friend had been drinking outside all night, then got into an argument that escalated."
As the argument escalated, the defendant told authorities that his "aggressive" confrontation with his friend has resulted in the friend breaking the windows of nearby vehicles.
Arney then claimed that he opened fire at his friend once in both legs in an apparent attempt to defend himself. He stated that the assault continued as he then struck his friend in the head with his weapon, reported ABC's Orlando affiliate, WFTV.
Witness gave contradicting Thomas Arney's version of the incident
Following Arney's detailing of the events that led to the altercation, an eyewitness to the argument and shooting contradicted the defendant's version of the incident.
As per the witness' claims, the victim had not posed any threat to the defendant before the altercation took place. This conflicting testimony resulted in further complexity of the case, according to the outlet.
Arney's non-cooperation with the investigation has left the authorities to rely on the version of events recounted by the witnesses and also the physical evidence from the alcohol-fueled disputes.
As the investigation into the case is ongoing, the Volusia Sheriff's Office is currently working to uncover all the details surrounding the incident, according to Fox News.
The De Leon Springs community remains in anticipation of more insight into the development of the case investigating the disturbing act of violence.
