A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man appeared in court Monday as local authorities continued to investigate the shooting he is accused of committing.
Tajsh Jarray Lee, 25, of the 400 block of Harper Street appeared before Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth for arraignment on the Class A felony of first-degree assault and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action.
Lee was formally arraigned on the charges and asked the court for time to hire an attorney, according to a deputy circuit clerk.
Bloodworth reportedly denied a request to lower Lee's bond, which is set at $250,000 cash, and ordered him to appear at 9 a.m. Thursday for a counsel status in his case. Lee remains in the Butler County jail.
The charges stem from an alleged shooting, which occurred at about 4:15 p.m. near the intersection of Garfield and Harper streets and left Juanita Renee Williams suffering two gunshot wounds.
As officers converged on the scene, Detective Andy Cleaveland and Lt. Josh Stewart met Williams at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, where she had been taken by private vehicle for treatment.
Williams subsequently was taken to a St. Louis, Mo., hospital, where she was expected to undergo surgery on her finger.
In his probable-cause statement, Cleaveland said, Williams had gunshot wounds to her right hand and left shoulder. The injuries reportedly were non-life threatening.
Williams, Cleaveland said, identified the alleged shooter as a black male who went by the "street name of Bird." (She) was able to further identify that 'Bird' is actually Tajsh Lee, who is from East St. Louis, Mo."
Cleaveland said Williams told them she was at the intersection of Harper and Garfield when Lee allegedly came from an area just west of her location and fired at least three times at her.
Prior to being shot, Stewart said, the 20-year-old Poplar Bluff woman had been inside a house on Garfield Street, south of Harper.
At the same time, outside in the house's dirt driveway, was a group of individuals, including Williams' boyfriend, Devon Dennis, Stewart said.
When Williams exited the home, Stewart said, she saw "her boyfriend, Devon Dennis, was assaulting Mr. Lee," who was seated in the driver's seat of a vehicle stopped in the road.
The alleged altercation "broke up," and Lee and his passenger left southbound on Garfield, Stewart explained.
"They drove around the block, and he (Lee) exited the car on Benton Street," Stewart said.
Lee's passenger "becomes the driver" and "comes back around to the group and starts talking to them," while stopped in the road, Stewart said.
Williams, according to Stewart, walked to an adjacent house and was standing on steps, which led down to the street.
Dennis and the others, he said, were still in the driveway.
"At some point, Lee came back up," Stewart said. "We think he walked around behind the (adjacent) house and sees her standing there."
What happened next, Stewart said, Williams described initially as "just hearing a shot. She turned and observed Lee with a firearm pointing at her.
"She began to run (toward the first house) and heard two more shots, one of which struck her in the right hand, and the other struck her left shoulder."
When Lee's passenger/driver heard the shots, Stewart said, he took off.
Those in the driveway, he said, also took off.
"When we got there, there was nobody there," Stewart said.
After allegedly firing the shots, Stewart said, officers believe Lee fled toward the electric substation at the intersection of Harper and Benton streets and its nearby woods.
"Indications are that there was more than one gun being fired at the scene," following the initial shots that allegedly struck Williams, Cleaveland said.
A .357-caliber revolver was found near the substation, said Stewart, who indicated officers would possibly be viewing surveillance footage from the substation Tuesday.
Officers believe Lee allegedly initially hid in a neighboring yard until "things calmed down" and then hid out elsewhere until Sunday when he turned himself in at the police station's front desk at 3:26 p.m.
"He was cooperative once he was taken into custody," Stewart said. " ... He says the reason he shot at her is because she had a gun."
Lee, he said, also accused the others, including Dennis, of having guns.
Williams' boyfriend, according to Stewart, has been uncooperative.
"We received cooperation from one neighbor; the surrounding community, we did not receive much cooperation," Stewart said.
The neighbor, Cleaveland said, identified Lee as the alleged shooter.
"(He) stated that an altercation had occurred between Tajsh Lee and Williams' boyfriend (Devon Dennis).
"Devon Dennis had punched Lee several times, and Lee left the area after this. Lee had then returned a short time later and had fired the weapon at Williams."
Lee, Stewart said, told officers the "whole incident" stemmed from Dennis having "another girl he's in somewhat of a relationship with besides the victim."
Lee was supposedly "messing with" that girl, Stewart said. "That's what stemmed the assault and ultimately led to the shooting," he said.
Stewart said Patrolman Billie Duckett was "up there working the area" on Saturday when he contacted Dennis.
The 28-year-old resident of the 100 block of Lexington was arrested at 4:25 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Garfield and Harper streets on two municipal failure to appear warrants for driving while revoked/suspended. He was booked at the Butler County jail.