A Poplar Bluff man is free on $100,000 bond after he allegedly fired a gun during a dispute with another man.
Lonnie T. Ruff II, 19, of the 200 block of South B Street, is charged with the Class B felony of unlawful use of a weapon involving shooting at a person, motor vehicle or building at or from a motor vehicle.
According to the probable cause statement by Poplar Bluff Police Department Lt. Josh Stewart, officers responded to JD‘s Quick Stop, located at 1529 N. Main St., on July 31, regarding reports of shots fired.
Responding officers were advised two male subjects were shooting at each other, one from a blue Dodge Charger and the other from an orange Dodge Charger. Upon arriving in the area, Patrolman Jeff Hovis located an unoccupied blue Dodge Charger parked in front of a gas pump at JD’s. A check of the registration revealed the vehicle belonged to Ruff.
Hovis then contacted a witness to the incident, who told Hovis he reportedly saw two males arguing with each other, one on Davis Street and the other on the lot of JD’s. The witness passed between them on Main Street and eventually parked on Hart Street.
The witness then reportedly heard the man at JD’s yell at the other man, then heard gunshots. The witness then observed a male subject wearing a black mask on his face, blue jeans and a black or blue shirt run south across Hart Street carrying a gun.
Hovis reportedly found several shell casings in and near the area of JD’s.
Patrolman Jeremy Elless contacted employees of JD‘s, which allowed him to view surveillance footage of the incident. In doing so, Elless reportedly observed the following things:
• Three men pushed the blue Charger onto the lot of JD’s, followed by the arrival of the orange Charger.
• Two of the males from the blue Charger began to argue, with one of them reportedly returning to the driver’s side of that vehicle and retrieving what appeared to be a handgun with an extended magazine.
• The man who retrieved the handgun then appeared to argue with someone out of the camera’s view. He then waved the handgun in the air toward that person before walking off screen toward that person.
• After shots were fired, all three men and a woman got in the orange Charger and headed south on Main Street. The man who retrieved the handgun entered the vehicle on the rear driver’s side.
The orange Charger later was observed traveling east on Pine Street and a traffic stop was conducted near the intersection of Pine and Seventh streets.
Ruff was reportedly found on the rear driver’s side of the orange Charger, leading officers to believe he is the individual who retrieved the firearm from the blue Charger.
Hovis also contacted employees of Bluff Custom Muffler, located across the street from JD’s, who allowed him to view their surveillance footage. This footage reportedly depicted Ruff firing a weapon at another individual.
Ruff was arraigned Aug. 1. He also is currently facing a Class C felony charge of delivery of a controlled substance in relation to an incident that occurred last year in New Madrid County.