Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery says the Sheriffs Office was called to investigate a shooting incident that took place Wednesday afternoon at a residence on Baxter County Road 1101, east of Mountain Home. At approximately 4:02, the Sheriffs Office was notified a man who had sustained a gunshot wound to his neck was being transported to Baxter Regional Medical Center Home by private vehicle.
Deputies responded to both the hospital emergency room to make contact with the man, who had been shot, and also to the house on County Road 1101 to make contact with the person who discharged the weapon. Initial indications from the preliminary investigation were the 58-year-old male victim, Brian Scott Hand, of Baxter County, had gone to the residence in question and was knocking on the front door. Some kind of altercation had taken place the prior evening at the same residence, and Hand was told not to come back.
The homeowner, 65-year-old Arthur Macleod, and his wife told Hand to leave the property, but he refused to leave and began making threats against them. As Macleod began to close the door, Hand allegedly placed his foot in the doorway to keep the door from closing. At this point, Macleod retrieved a .22 caliber rifle, which he said he thought was unloaded, to convince Hand to leave. Hand backed out into the yard, with Macleod following.
According to Macleod, the rifle accidentally discharged, and one round struck Hand in the neck. Hand left the property and walked to a neighbors house. He was taken from there to the hospital and was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Sheriffs Investigators met Thursday with the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney to determine what charges, if any, would be filed against Macleod. At the conclusion of that meeting, and after reviewing evidence and formal statements provided by all the parties involved, it was decided that no criminal charges will be filed in the matter.
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