FAYETTEVILLE -- An Adair County, Okla., deputy has a trial set for January for an aggravated assault charge stemming from a shooting incident in September.
Travis Adams, 33, of Lincoln pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault during his arraignment Wednesday. He has a trial date set for Jan. 27 in Washington County Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay's courtroom.
Aggravated assault is a Class D felony punishable by up to six years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
Prosecutors say Adams fired several rounds from his firearm during an altercation Sept. 3, exposing others to death or serious injury.
Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a shooting call at Adams' home on Pleasant Hill Road, west of Lincoln, around 5:52 p.m. Sept. 3. Deputies found Justin Hellyer shot twice in the abdomen and arrested Adams, who was off duty at the time, as the suspect in the shooting.
A Central Emergency Medical Services ambulance responded to the scene and took Hellyer to Washington Regional Medical Center for care.
A witness recorded part of the shooting with a cell phone, and detectives obtained the video, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Chief Deputy Jay Cantrell said Adams had been told he was being evicted, and Hellyer is a relative of the property owner. Investigators interviewed Hellyer after he was taken to the hospital.
Adams was arrested in connection with first-degree battery and aggravated assault. Denis Dean, senior deputy prosecuting attorney, said he didn't file a first-degree battery charge because, "the victim is uncooperative with prosecution and did not wish to pursue charges."
Dean said Adams fired shots before the two shots hit Hellyer, and those prior shots are where the aggravated assault charge is coming from.
Adair County Sheriff Jason Ritchie said last month Adams was a former jailer and in reserve officer training to become a full-time, certified officer.
Ritchie said he supports Adams "100%" and will be "standing behind" his employee.
He said Adams is still employed by the Adair County Sheriff's Office and was on administrative leave during the investigation, but has still been in training.