Description:

Muskogee, Oklahoma criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with a shooting and physical altercation.

According to trial testimony from victims Braydon Rich, Trent Short, and
Christopher Chappell, they had been fishing for a couple hours when they spotted a
storm rolling in and decided to head back to shore. As their boat neared the bank,
located on the Choctaw Nation Reservation, Rich exited the boat and walked up the
bank, intending to drive a vehicle down to the bank to pull the boat out of the river.
Armenta approached Rich and asked if he had jumper cables. When Rich replied in
the negative, Armenta pulled out a gun, pointed it at him, and told him not to move.

Rich ran to Chappell’s truck, jumped inside, and called 911. As Rich watched, a
second man, Ward, hit the truck’s windshield with a gun and yelled at him to get out.
While Rich took refuge in the truck, Short and Chappell remained in the boat.
Chappell heard Armenta tell Ward to “just pop him,” referring to Rich, and Ward
fired at the truck. R. vol. 4, 290. Armenta then started shooting at Chappell and
Short. Two bullets struck Short, but he and Chappell were able to swim to safety.
Armenta and Ward then pulled Rich out of the truck, and a fight ensued. Armenta
and Ward hit Rich multiple times, including with a tire tool, a gun, and a pipe. Rich
was eventually able to break away and run to a friend’s house.

Based on these events, the government indicted Armenta and Ward on four
counts: assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country (as to Short), two
counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian
Country (as to Chappell and Rich), and one count of using, carrying, brandishing, and
discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The indictment
charged both men with each count both directly and on a theory of aiding and
abetting.

Outcome: Defendant was found guilty and was sentenced to 240 months in prison.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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