A Roan Mountain man has been charged with attempted murder after he reported a burglary at his home Thursday, then hours later was himself accused of firing a shotgun at the man he identified as a suspect in the theft.
David Lee Thompson, 58, of 794 Buck Mountain Road, Roan Mountain, was arrested Friday by Carter County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Tim Horne on a warrant charging him with attempted second-degree murder.
Capt. Jeff Markland of the Carter County Sheriff’s Department’s Criminal Investigations Division said the events leading up to the charge against Thompson began Thursday morning when Thompson called for an officer to respond to his house to report a break-in and the theft of a safe from his home. In addition to the safe, Thompson reported that 14 knives and two pistols, which were stored in the safe, had also been stolen.
According to police reports, at the time Thompson reported the theft he also told police he suspected that a man he identified as “Chris Oaks” was responsible.
Later that same day, Carter County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to another residence on Buck Mountain Road on a report of shots being fired at a person. According to police reports, while officers were responding to the call, 911 dispatchers advised officers that a person at the residence had possibly been shot in the face.
Upon arrival at 1069 Buck Mountain Road, officers were met by Christopher Oaks, who told them that Thompson had fired shots at him as he was standing in the yard.
Deputy Brian Smithpeters said in his report that Oaks reported to officers that he was outside his residence with his girlfriend when a dark-colored Subaru pulled in front of his residence and that he saw Thompson was driving the vehicle and that there were two other passengers in it. Oaks reported to officers that one of the passengers asked him to walk down to the vehicle to talk to them.
“Mr. Oaks stated he started walking towards the Subaru and David (Thompson) got out of the driver’s side and claimed he stole his safe. Mr. Oaks stated he told David (Thompson) he did not take his safe,” Smithpeters said in his report. “Mr. Oaks stated David then retrieved a shotgun out of the vehicle and pointed the shotgun at him and fired it. Mr. Oaks stated he felt something hit his face and he fell to the ground.”
Markland said Oaks sustained minor injuries in the form of scratches, and that it is unknown if the round fired from the shotgun struck Oaks in the face or if debris was thrown up into Oaks’ face and caused the injury.
Smithpeters said in his report that officers recovered a Remington 12-gauge shotgun shell lying on the ground where Oaks reported that Thompson had fired the shot from, and there were tire marks in the gravel where Oaks reported that Thompson had spun his tires while fleeing the scene.
No arrest was made at the time of the initial reports; the case was turned over to the Criminal Investigation Division, which later obtained the warrant charging Thompson with attempted second degree murder.
Thompson is currently being held in the Carter County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Carter County General Sessions Court on July 15.
Oaks was arrested Thursday on outstanding warrants unrelated to either incident reported that day. He was arrested on a warrant out of Criminal Court charging him with violation of probation, a warrant out of Criminal Court charging him with failure to report to jail for incarceration and an attachment out of Carter County Juvenile Court.