A Jasonville police investigation ongoing since late October resulted in the arrest early today of a man accused of shooting a woman in the neck with a BB gun, causing a wound which sent her to the hospital where she was on a ventilator in critical condition at one point. She has since been released.

Barry Wayne St. John, 62, of Jasonville, was taken into custody by Jasonville Police Officer Andrew Duguay and booked into jail at 12:44 a.m. today, on a warrant issued on a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon.

JPD Officer Duguay began an investigation into a shooting incident on Thursday, October 25, when he was informed a woman had been admitted to Greene County General Hospital around 7:42 p.m. on Wednesday, October 24. He was told she had a wound to her throat caused by being shot with a BB pistol and that she was allegedly shot by St. John.

When Duguay went to St. John’s home on East Ohio Street in Jasonville and said he needed to talk to him about an incident that happened the night before, St. John knew what the officer was talking about. St. John asked Duguay if he wanted to see the gun that was used.

Duguay detailed his interviews and investigation in a probable cause affidavit filed in Greene Superior Court this week. He wrote that when St. John retrieved a black plastic BB pistol and gave it to him, it was photographed and seized as evidence. He noted words visible on the pistol said, “MISUSE OR CARELESS USE MAY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.”

St. John was transported to the Jasonville Police Department for an interview. Duguay said on the way there, St. John started talking about the incident but Duguay advised him to wait until they got to the police department. St. John continued talking but once at the police department, he said he wanted to be cooperative but wished to speak to a lawyer before giving a statement.

Duguay was not able to speak to the victim until after she was released.

When he made contact with Methodist Hospital on Friday, October 26, to get an update on her status, he was advised she was in critical but stable condition and was on a breathing ventilator.

When medical records were received from Greene County General on November 13, they showed the woman was admitted with a wound to the right side of her neck after being shot with a BB by a person who did not think the gun was loaded. She was transferred to Regional Hospital in Terre Haute.

When medical records were received from Regional Hospital on November 28, they showed she sustained the injury when her mother’s boyfriend accidentally shot her in the right side of her neck with a BB gun. She had told medical personnel he was showing her the gun when it accidentally went off.

Duguay met with the woman on November 6, after she was released from the hospital. He said she could not speak due to the injuries from the shooting but she did give him a written statement.

Duguay reported she wrote that when she arrived at St. John’s house and he came out of his bedroom holding a gun that looked like a 9 mm to her, he said “Watch this,” pointed the gun at the wall and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.

According to the woman’s statement, when St. John was then standing right next to her, he said “Watch this” again, pointed the gun at her throat which was about one foot away, and pulled the trigger. She said she felt blood and like something was stuck in her throat. She told him she needed to go to the hospital and he told her to tell the hospital it was an accident.

When Duguay asked her if she believed it was an accident, she wrote on a dry erase board that she didn’t know if it was an accident or not. She also showed him several messages she had received from St. John apologizing for what he did to her.

Duguay wrote the CO2 pistol taken from St. John was a Daisy Powerline Model 415 CO2 semi-automatic pistol, a 21-shot repeater that was capable of firing .177 cal. BBs at 495 feet per second.

Criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon is a Level 6 felony. St. John’s bond was set at $4,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He posted $400 cash and has been released, with a court date scheduled for him to appear for his initial hearing.