A 30-year-old Springfield man is in jail after he allegedly fired his AR-15 rifle at two people in a nearby yard. They reportedly annoyed him because they were yelling for their dog to come back into the house.
Blake Houston Biellier has been charged with aggravated assault in the first degree, a class B felony under Missouri law. Aggravated assault in the first degree occurs when a person “attempts to kill or knowingly causes or attempts to cause serious physical injury to another person.”
The incident occurred at about 11:12 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29, in the 300 block of North Homewood Avenue in Springfield's Westside neighborhood. No one was hurt, although police noted one of the victims had a hole in his sweat shirt, in the area of his upper left shoulder. The victim reportedly told police he thought it was from a gunshot that night.
According to court documents, the two victims were calling for their dog when they heard someone yelling at them from across the street. They then saw the flash of a muzzle and heard what they thought was a gunshot.
Took cover behind shed, returned fire
They quickly took cover behind a shed. They heard additional gunshots, according to court documents.
Police arrived and found damage to the shed that appeared to be caused by bullets.
Police formed a perimeter around Biellier's house. He eventually came outside and allegedly told police officers he had been sleeping.
Biellier told investigators, according to documents, he heard yelling nearby and that the yelling upset him. He said he fired at the area where he heard the noise.
He also said he was having a rough time finding work and was stressed out and “on edge,” according to court documents.
Biellier told police that the only reason he fired a second time was because someone had fired back at him, according to court documents.
Police went back to the victims. According to court documents, one of them confirmed that they had, indeed, fired back toward Bieller with a shotgun after being fired upon the first time.
They said they fired back to protect themselves. No one else was arrested or charged in the shooting incident.
Court documents do not mention if the dog went back into the house, or if it fled.
