An Independence man is facing criminal charges for shooting a pregnant woman on Saturday.
Jermaine Hall, 50, is in Jackson County Jail on one count of unlawful use of a firearm, armed criminal conduct, and aggravated escape from a stop or detention.
What happened
Around 4:40 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, the Sugar Creek Police Department was dispatched to the area of Kentucky Road and Sterling Avenue—just outside police headquarters—due to reports of shots fired. Officers continued to search the area despite seeing nothing.
About a quarter mile away, the officers noticed a car pulled over with a man gesturing for aid. He said his wife had been shot in the leg and required assistance.
The cops used a tourniquet on the woman’s leg to help stop the bleeding, which they described as “significant.”
While this was going on, the husband pointed to a car in a nearby driveway and recognized the driver, Hall, as the man who had injured his wife.
According to court filings, Hall then began driving away. The officers attempted to block his vehicle with their own, but he got around them and sped away.
A short chase ensued, and Hall reportedly drove through two guarded fences on the premises of a local gasoline depot while authorities pursued him. When they caught up with Hall on North Vermont Street, they noticed him attempting to enter the cab of a semi-truck.
The driver later told authorities that Hall nearly crashed his vehicle and then attempted to enter the cab, so he fired two warning rounds from a revolver to scare him away.
Hall was taken into arrest without additional incident. While investigating the site, officers discovered three semi-automatic handguns, 26 spent cartridge casings, a box of ammo, cocaine, and other drug paraphernalia.
Investigators questioned Hall, who stated that “what had happened was a mistake” but did not acknowledge firing any rounds.
He is being held under a $200,000 cash-only bond.
Neighbors’ accounts
A neighbor, just east of where the couple had stopped their car, detailed her encounter. She showed KCTV5 her SUV. The back windows had been shot out. A gunshot appeared to enter one window and exit the other. Her son’s car seat was full of shattered glass.
“I’m still terrified,” she admitted. “It is scary. It’s really concerning for me, especially with my tiny children at home.”
KCTV5 decided not to use her name because she feared for her safety.
She said she had loud music playing downstairs when her daughter cried out to her. Her daughter claimed she heard gunshots from her upstairs bedroom. Soon after, the woman heard around ten more. She looked out the window to see if anyone was on her property and noticed the shattered glass.
“My mind went blank,” she admitted.
It took her a moment to come to her wits and phone 911. The police would not tell her what had transpired. She watched as they set up crime tape along a row of trees lining the driveway where the man claiming to be Hall had backed out.
The driveway is connected to a detached garage. The house is on the far opposite side of the property, a full block away. A woman in the home stated that she had no idea who Hall was or why he was there.
The neighbor whose car windows were damaged was unaware of what had occurred until Hall was charged on Monday and news coverage began.
“That is so senseless,” she exclaimed. “It is dreadful. My heart goes out to her. Hopefully she is doing well. Hopefully, the baby is also feeling better. I am sending prayers.”
Latest information
The woman was transferred to North Kansas City Hospital, where she had surgery. She was placed in a medically induced coma “at least for the evening” on September 20.
In the latest news, medical personnel had discovered her baby’s heartbeat. There is no information on her present condition.
Her husband stated that the shooting occurred immediately after they dropped their twins off at a home about 1.5 miles away.
Leave a Comment