PB woman shoots boyfriend during alleged assault

A Poplar Bluff woman is accused of shooting her boyfriend Monday night after he allegedly assaulted her during an argument over money.

At about 7:15 p.m., a 23-year-old woman arrived at the Butler County Sheriff’s Department and reported “she just shot her boyfriend in the stomach” and turned over a handgun, Cpl. Cody Wilson wrote in his report.

The woman, Wilson said, reported she was in an argument with Cody Vaughn over money, and he “smacked her in the face knocking her backwards a few feet.

“(She) said Cody came at her again and raised a fist to punch her. (She) told me she pulled her firearm from her waistband and fired one shot.”

Wilson said the woman further reported she did not mean to hit the 32-year-old, but was “trying to fire a warning shot to scare him off.

“(She) said she was scared for her life because she has seen how bad Cody has beaten women in the past and was afraid he would beat her as well.”

After he was shot, Vaughn allegedly fled the home, located in the 100 block of Regency Lane.

Vaughn, Wilson said, went to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center for treatment, but later was flown to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Vaughn remained hospitalized Tuesday afternoon, and authorities reported he was in stable condition.

During the investigation, Wilson said, deputies learned officers with the Poplar Bluff Police Department had responded to the hospital and contacted Vaughn before he was transferred.

“(The police officer) told Deputy (Brett) Campbell that while Cody Vaughn was at PBRMC, he was uncooperative and would not tell him who shot him or where it happened, and he did not want to pursue charges,” Wilson said.

Vaughn’s girlfriend was interviewed at the sheriff’s department, and she reported she had been in a relationship for about two weeks, Investigator Randle Huddleston wrote in his report.

“She stated that she had rented a vehicle from Enterprise Leasing, and she and C. Vaughn had been using it,” Huddleston said. “She stated that they had smoked in the vehicle, and when they returned it, they were only given half of their deposit back due to the vehicle having to be cleaned.”

While she was out Monday, Huddleston said, the woman reported getting a phone call from Vaughn, telling her to “get back home right then.

“She stated she could tell from his voice that he was mad, and due to her past experience with an abusive partner, she felt like she was probably going to get assaulted by C. Vaughn at some point when she arrived home.

The woman, Huddleston said, reported owning a Taurus 9mm, which she stuck inside her waistband before entering the residence.

“She stated when she entered the residence, C. Vaughn began to yell at her about the money not being fully refunded on the rental car,” Huddleston said.

After verbally arguing, the woman reported Vaughn slapped her face and raised his hand to punch her, at which time she pulled and fired her handgun.

A witness reported to Capt. Charles Phelps that Vaughn was at her residence when his girlfriend arrived.

“(She) stated when (the girlfriend) came into the residence, Mr. Vaughn started yelling and cussing her over money,” Phelps wrote in his report.

The witness, he said, alleged Vaughn “became very aggressive and open-handed slapped (his girlfriend) across the face.

“(She) stated (the girlfriend) pulled a handgun from her waist area and shot Mr. Vaughn one time in the stomach.”

Phelps said the witness further reported seeing Vaughn’s girlfriend in the “past few weeks with bruising that she said occurred from Mr. Vaughn beating on her. (The woman) stated she has dated Mr. Vaughn in the past, but had gotten away from him due to him beating on her.”

Huddleston said he contacted Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kacey Proctor about the incident, and no charges have been filed at this time pending review of the case by Proctor.