A man who tried to shoot a sheriff's deputy with his own gun last Thursday had no reason to fight the deputy, said Sheriff Kevin Harrison.The alleged assault occurred around 1 a.m. Thursday in Truesdale. Jason L. Green, 37, of Phelps County, was arrested and charged with first-degree assault on a special victim and disarming a peace officer performing official duty. He is being held at the Warren County Jail without bond.Harrison said the deputy was responding to a noise complaint at the apartments on Smith Street in Truesdale when he encountered Green, who became agitated after the deputy insisted on seeing the IDs of several other people in the apartment.Green appeared to be heavily intoxicated, Harrison said. He described Green’s mental state as like “flipping a switch.” Green was calm, and then he was yelling profanities and threatening the deputy.“It’s alarming how quickly this escalated for no apparent reason,” Harrison commented.The next series of events turned a routine call into a life-threatening encounter.Green reportedly pushed the deputy, causing a struggle during which the deputy attempted to arrest him. The deputy disengaged and began to back away, but Green charged him while threatening to shoot the deputy, Harrison said. The two then wrestled to the ground.During the altercation, Green is accused of removing the deputy’s department-issued handgun from its holster and attempting to shoot the deputy in the head. The deputy grabbed the barrel of the gun to keep it pointed away, and caused the weapon to malfunction after firing.The gunshot went through the door of a neighboring apartment, and the resident called 911 for help, Harrison said.Green also reportedly bit the deputy on his right ear, before eventually being subdued and taken into custody with the arrival of backup from Warrenton Police Department. Officers from Warrenton, Wright City and the Missouri Highway Patrol responded to the scene after the gunshot was reported.The deputy had only superficial injuries, Harrison said. Green also was not seriously injured.Harrison added that he is grateful the situation happened in a place where backup was so close by.“If this had happened farther out in the county where there would have been a longer response time for backup, this could have had a tragic ending,” Harrison said.Harrison also commended the efforts of one of the other people in the apartment with Green who came to assist the deputy. The woman moved the deputy's gun away after Green dropped it, then attempted to use the deputy’s stun gun to subdue Green.The sheriff said law enforcement couldn’t find any reason for Green to become so combative. Neither Green nor any of the people in the apartment had active warrants, although Green has several prior felony convictions. No illegal substances were found in the apartment, Harrison said.“Had they cooperated and communicated, the deputy would have left in a few minutes,” Harrison commented.Going forward, Harrison said the department is evaluating several locations in Warren County where it could become mandatory for two deputies to respond to every call, including the apartments in Truesdale.The assault charge against Green is a class A felony. If convicted, he could face a minimum of 10 years in prison. The maximum penalty for a class A felony is 30 years or life in prison.Green had an arraignment scheduled for March 28 in Warren County Circuit Court.

Jason Green