An Umatilla man was arrested after he allegedly fired a shot into the air with a handgun when confronted by neighbors about playing his music too loud.
Jeffery Carl Jackson, 56, of SE 157th Lane, was charged Sunday evening with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and single counts of firing a weapon in public or on residential property and using or displaying a firearm during a felony.
The husband and wife who were the victims told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that Jackson had been playing music very loud for several hours. The female victim said her husband went outside to the edge of the road and asked Jackson to turn down the music, and they started to argue with each other, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The female victim said she was standing about five feet from her husband, in her front yard and next to the road, when Jackson pulled out a handgun and said, “I’ll end up shooting you with this (the gun).” She said she was afraid Jackson was going to use the gun to harm her or her husband. The female victim said Jackson then raised the gun and fired a single shot into the air, and she went inside to call law enforcement, the report said.
The male victim said he and Jackson started to argue when he went over to tell him to turn down his music. He said Jackson pulled a handgun with a black frame and silver slide from his right pants pocket, pointed it at the victims and said, “I’ll end up shooting you with this (the gun).” The male victim said Jackson raised the gun and fired a single shot into the air, according to the report.
The male victim said he was not afraid of the gun or the fact that Jackson fired it, and he continued to argue until his wife called him inside. He said he was about 15 feet away from Jackson when he fired the gun, the report said.
Jackson’s girlfriend said she and Jackson had just gotten home from vacation and he was working on a vehicle in their front yard when the male victim showed up and they started arguing about the volume of the music. She said she did not see Jackson pull out a gun and point it at either victim, but she did see him fire a single shot into the air. Jackson’s girlfriend said the victim never came onto their property and had stayed on his property throughout the entire incident, according to the report.
After being read his Miranda rights, Jackson told the deputy he had just gotten home from vacation and was working on a vehicle in his yard while listening to music. He said the male victim came out and started to scream at him about his music being too loud. He said the victim started to advance towards him in an aggressive manor, so he pulled out his handgun and fired a single shot into the air out of fear for his life, the report said.
Asked if he ever pointed the firearm at either victim or made any threats with it, Jackson said he did not. He said after the incident, he took the weapon back inside his residence and placed it under his mattress. Jackson refused to give the deputy access to his residence and the firearm, according to the report.
Jackson is not a convicted felon and is legally permitted to own and possess firearms. He was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was released Monday on $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on Nov. 3.