Dispute over gallon of milk leads to Sunday shooting

FAIRDEALING — Charges were filed Monday afternoon against a Fairdealing man who is accused of shooting his wife outside a convenience store after arguing with her about a gallon of milk.

Opal Blackshear, 30, sustained a gunshot wound to her left hand, said Ripley County Sheriff Mike Barton, who indicated the bullet also grazed her chest.

Blackshear allegedly was shot at about 1 p.m. Sunday by her 33-year-old husband, Joshua Adam Blackshear, outside of Patsy’s Daily Convenience Store near the intersection of Highway 160 and Highway JJ at Fairdealing.

Joshua Blackshear fled the scene immediately after the alleged shooting and was arrested about two hours later following vehicle and foot pursuits.

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He has since been charged with the Class A felonies of first-degree domestic assault, first-degree kidnapping and unlawful use of a weapon, the unclassified felony of armed criminal action, the Class B felony of second-degree assault and the Class D felonies of unlawful possession of a firearm and first-degree property damage.

Joshua Blackshear, who is being held without bond, is set to appear Wednesday before Associate Circuit Judge Thomas David Swindle for a bond hearing in his case.

Joshua Blackshear’s wife, Barton said, was released from the hospital Monday morning. She had been taken by ambulance to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center and later flown to another hospital for further treatment.

Upon her release, Barton said, she came to the Ripley County Sheriff’s Department, where she met with the county’s crime victims’ advocate.

“Her injuries, her hand, the bones in her hand and fingers were pretty shattered,” Barton said. “She’s due to go back next week for more follow up and possible surgery.”

Barton said Opal Blackshear reported she was “wanting to go get a gallon of milk, and he didn’t want her too.”

After the Blackshears, “argued over the gallon of milk, he drove her” there, said Barton, who indicated they lived “just down the road” from the store.

After arriving at Patsy’s, Opal Blackshear ran inside, and “he was right on her heels,” Barton said. “He put an arm around her neck, put a gun to her head and drug her back out.

“… Then, just outside the business’ door, she fell to the concrete, and he (fired) one shot at her standing over her.”

Barton said Opal Blackshear was able to raise her hands up in a defensive position, which is how she received her injuries.

At that point, Barton said, Opal Blackshear was able to get back inside the business, while her husband fled.

Just before the shooting happened, Barton said, an on-duty Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper had driven by the convenience store.

Barton said the trooper was about a half mile away, when the officers were dispatched to the scene.

The trooper, he said, turned around, but Joshua Blackshear already was gone by the time he arrived.

Additional troopers and Ripley County deputies responded to the store.

“We knew who the suspect was and immediately began searching for him and the black SUV he was driving,” Barton said.

A short time later, Barton said, a trooper spotted the SUV on Highway K, off of Highway 21 North.

“The suspect failed to stop and a pursuit took place,” Barton explained.

Officers with the Highway Patrol, sheriff’s office and Doniphan Police Department were involved in the pursuit as it went east on Highway K and then onto Highway B, which goes into Carter County.

The pursuit, the sheriff said, went through Grandin on Highway 21 and then back on Highway K.

“The suspect went through a fence, through a field, through a wooded area into a creek bed,” Barton said. “The suspect backed out of the creek bed at a high rate of speed.

“He rammed into the front of one of the Ripley County sheriff vehicles, which caused the airbag to deploy.”

At that point, Barton said, Joshua Blackshear went forward for a short distance, then stopped and fled on foot.

“A foot pursuit took place and the suspect ran out into the middle of a pond, which was about chest deep,” Barton said. “There was a small boat close by, and we went out and took him in to custody in the middle of the pond.”

Joshua Blackshear, Barton said, was put in the boat and taken to shore about two hours after the shooting was reported.

“Since there was a crash, we brought the suspect to Poplar Bluff Regional ER to be checked out,” Barton said.

Two deputies, the sheriff said, also were checked out at the hospital.

Chief Deputy Charlie Mays, whose patrol car was rammed, suffered what Barton described as a sprain to his left wrist from the airbag deploying.

Another deputy, he said, injured one of his knees during the foot pursuit.

Both deputies were treated and released.

After Joshua Blackshear’s release, Barton said, he was booked at the Wayne County Jail.

Barton said Joshua Blackshear refused to be interviewed by authorities.

Investigators with Troop E’s Division of Drug and Crime Control reportedly responded to assist in processing the scene and the investigation.

Surveillance footage from the store was obtained, which showed “Joshua Blackshear struggling with Opal at the door,” Deputy Earl Wheetley wrote in his probable-cause affidavit. “Opal was attempting to get away from him. He had his arm around her neck. Josh pulled a gun from his right, front pocket pointing it at Opal’s head/face.”

Wheetley said Opal Blackshear was attempting to hold onto the door jam to keep from going outside with her husband.

“Opal could be seen trying to push the gun away from her,” Wheetley said.

The footage, he said, further showed Joshua Blackshear allegedly firing one shot, striking his wife on the hand, arm and chest.

“Opal could be seen coming back into the store bleeding,” Wheetley said.

Barton said the handgun Joshua Blackshear allegedly used has not been found at this time.

Joshua Blackshear is charged as a prior and persistent offender as he has previous convictions for second-degree assault in October 2009 in Hillsboro County and tampering with a motor vehicle in March 2014 in Ripley County.