(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
SOMERS, Wis. — A Racine man is facing multiple charges after allegedly firing a “warning shot” during an argument with his girlfriend while children were in the backseat of their vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court.
(Kenosha County Sheriff)
Ernest Leroy Massie Jr., 35, was formally charged Monday with second-degree recklessly endangering safety, battery with a domestic abuse enhancer, disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse enhancer, and three counts of misdemeanor bail jumping. Court Commissioner William Michel II ordered a $40,000 cash bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 24.
The charges stem from an incident Friday evening in the Village of Somers, where deputies with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a fight and a gunshot in the 400 block of Highway 31.
According to the complaint, witnesses told dispatchers that a man had fired a shot into the air during a dispute with a woman. Deputies located Massie in a Dodge Journey parked near the scene. Massie initially denied firing the gun but later admitted to deputies that he had discharged a single round “as a warning.”
Deputies recovered a Glock 19 handgun with a round in the chamber, multiple loaded magazines, and a drum-style magazine from a backpack inside the vehicle. Several children were seated in the back at the time of the incident, the complaint states.
The woman involved, identified in the complaint by her initials, told deputies she and Massie were arguing when he pulled the vehicle over and hit her in the face while she was trapped in the back seat due to child safety locks. She said he then fired the gun outside the vehicle.
Massie was previously out on bond in a separate misdemeanor case for hit-and-run. Each of the new charges triggered a bail jumping count.
If convicted on all counts, Massie could face over 15 years in prison.
.
.
.
.
