Two men who live next door to each other in Arkansas decided to try shooting at each other with a bulletproof vest on. The act got them in trouble with the law.
Some friendly neighbor to neighbor sparring occurred between two men from Arkansas that wound up landing them in trouble with the law. The neighbors were arrested after they allegedly took turns shooting at each with a bulletproof vest on. Officials say Charles Ferris, 50, and 36-year-old Christopher Hicks took turn shooting at each other while wearing the protective gear. They were booked into the Benton County Jail on suspicion of aggravated assault.
A police affidavit says the men, who are each other’s neighbor, in Rogers, “were drinking alcohol on a deck” when Ferris, an Evangelical Anglican priest, told Hicks to shoot him with a .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle while Ferris wore the vest. “Pissed” from how much it hurt, the affidavit said Ferris then shot Hicks while Hicks wore the vest. Ferris “unloaded the clip into Hicks’ back,” the report says. There were five rounds left and none of them “penetrated the vest.” The standoff resulted in “bruises but no serious injuries.” It was not immediately clear how the bulletproof vest was obtained.
Ferris went to Mercy Hospital at 11pm that night to seek treatment for these bruises, at which time the staff, upon realizing the man had been shot, contacted law enforcement. Benton County sheriff’s Deputy Dorian Hendrix arrived a short time later to investigate. Hendrix interviewed Ferris, who had a red spot on his chest, the affidavit states.
When interviewed by deputies, Ferris at first said he was paid $200 to protect “an asset,” and that he was “shot six times guarding his charge from a man in a white suit at Hobbs State Park at around 10pm.” How quickly he forgot his priestly duty “thou shall not lie” while protecting the aforementioned “asset.”
When Ferris’ wife of ten years and the mother of his two children, Leslie, arrived at the hospital, she had to clear her conscious and told the deputies what had actually happened. She said Ferris was drinking with Hicks when she heard a gunshot. She went outside and saw her husband had a mark on his chest. Their neighbor had shot him. Ferris initially told his wife “he was fine” after the shooting, but complained about the pain, so she told him to go to the hospital. Only after Leslie fessed up and told her side of the story did the priest finally confess to his sins, claiming that he only lied keep Hicks out of trouble.
Ferris and Hicks were released from jail after posting $5,000 bond each. They were issued a no contact order. Both neighbors are due back in Benton County Circuit Court on May 13. If convicted of the felony charges, Hicks and Ferris could face up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Ferris is the founder of the Warriors Cross Church, inspired by the medieval Catholic military order of the Knights Templar, whose mission it was to protect Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land during the Crusades. Perhaps this is why he was so interested in inciting a battle and protect an asset. Ferris should be able to redeem himself with his followers after breaking only one of the commandments. He should consider himself lucky he doesn’t have to worry about “thou shall not kill.”
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