Don’t Dis Me

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT – A verbal altercation between two Crockett men led to the arrest of one on charges aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and abandoning /endangering a child.

According to an arrest report from the Crockett Police Department, Officers Walter Bray and Forrest McClain were dispatched to a residence at 604 Wooley St., in reference to a disturbance with a gun on Dec. 23.

When the officers arrived, they observed a male individual, identified as Donnie Bolton, standing in front of the Wooley Street address yelling at another male subject, identified as Marcus Dewayne Peterson.

The two men were immediately detained, according to the arrest report, and placed into separate patrol units for questioning.

As the investigation unfolded, the officers learned the argument started inside the residence on Wooley Street. Bolton informed the law enforcement officials he had been invited to breakfast by a female relative but declined the invitation.

The report stated Bolton “… later came by and was in and out of the house all day. At around 2 p.m., Bolton was standing at the door tying his daughter’s shoe when Marcus Peterson walked out of a room and stated to Bolton ‘Hey man, you disrespected me. You have been talking about me.’”

The arrest report stated Bolton informed Peterson he had no idea what he was talking about to which Peterson replied, “Hold on. Stay right there.”

“Peterson then walked back into the other room,” the report continued, “and retrieved a rifle, exited the room, charged the lever action and pointed it at Bolton.”

Peterson allegedly pressed the muzzle of the weapon into Bolton’s chest while Bolton’s daughter was between the two men and pushed Bolton out of the door, the arrest report stated.

Bolton shoved the weapon away and “… began to wrestle with Peterson and threw him to the floor before exiting the house to call law enforcement,” the report stated.

Before the authorities arrived, the report indicated a relative and friend of Peterson’s arrived at the location. At that point, Peterson exited the home and attempted to fight Bolton once again, the legal document stated.

Shortly afterwards, the CPD officers arrived at the Wooley Street location and detained the two men. The report stated the officers questioned witnesses at the scene including Bolton’s daughter who said she had seen Peterson brandishing the rifle.

After gaining permission to search the residence, the officers found a BB gun that was shown to Bolton. The report indicated Bolton said that was not the weapon Peterson had pulled on him and explained the rifle had a scope on it.

The weapon was also shown to Bolton’s daughter who said that wasn’t the correct rifle and added there was another rifle stored in the washroom of the residence. A second search of the residence produced a Marlin 30-30 lever action rifle, according to the arrest report.

After the actual weapon was discovered, both men were transported to Houston County Jail. Bolton was booked on one count of simple assault, a class C misdemeanor while Peterson was booked on a second degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a third degree felony charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and a state jail felony charge of child abandonment/endangerment.

Under Section 12.33 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the institutional division for any term of not more than 20 years or less than two years. In addition to imprisonment, an individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”

Section 12.32 of the Texas Penal Code sates a third degree felony is punishable by imprisonment of two to 10 years and up to a $10,000 fine while a state jail felony is punishable by a incarceration at a state jail facility for no less than 180 days or more than two years and a fine of $10,000.

Peterson’s total bond was set at $35,000. It was posted and Peterson was released pending trial.

 

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].