TheTimesTribune.com, Corbin, KY

Local News

Related Links

Discussion

February 13, 2013

Man appears in court for shooting

Charged in connection with gunshot to girlfriend’s ankle

The Times-Tribune

CORBIN — By John L. Ross, Staff Writer

A man charged in connection with shooting his girlfriend in the ankle had his preliminary hearing continued to Feb. 26.

Richard J. Lawson, 36, of Keavy, stood handcuffed before Judge John Paul Chappell Tuesday in Laurel County District Court.

Lawson appeared with his attorney, Michael Brophy. Also on hand in the courtroom Tuesday was the investigating officer, Laurel County Sheriff’s Detective Daryl Zanet.

Not much was discussed during Lawson’s brief appearance Tuesday. After a brief conference between Judge Chappell, Brophy and Laurel County Attorney Tom Weatherly, Chappell continued the case.  

Lawson remains jailed in the Laurel County Correctional Center under a $25,000 cash bond.

According to Sheriff John Root, on Feb. 3, deputies Shawn Boroviak and Brett Reeves responded to a residence on Locust Grove to investigate a report that a woman had been shot.

Deputies were told Lawson was “very intoxicated” and got into an argument with his girlfriend, 37-year-old Gena Smith.

Root said as the woman attempted to leave the residence, Lawson retrieved a .22-caliber rifle and allegedly shot several times toward her as she fled down the hallway.

One bullet struck Smith’s ankle; however, she was able to escape to a neighbor’s house to call 911 dispatchers.

Boroviak and Reeves discovered the victim at that home, bleeding from a gunshot wound.

Root said the two deputies discovered Lawson “passed out” in a back bedroom of the residence, holding the rifle he allegedly used to shoot Smith. They arrested him at the scene.

The couple’s 11-year-old son was in the home during the shooting.

Lawson faces charges of first-degree assault through domestic violence, and first-degree wanton endangerment.

Text Only
Local News