Texas Officer Shot In Domestic Dispute

By Amy Soper via Knight Ridder


A 70-year-old man accused of shooting a Fort Wayne Police officer told police he was mad at his family for hanging up the phone on him and for picking on him, a probable cause affidavit filed Tuesday in Allen County Circuit Court said.

Melvin Bell, of the 500 block of Mariners Ridge Court in Fort Wayne, was arrested Tuesday on charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness, pointing a firearm and battery with a deadly weapon. He is accused in the Sunday night shooting at 2346 Gay St. in which Fort Wayne Police Officer Darrell Caudill was injured. Caudill suffered a large red welt, bruising and sore ribs, but his body armor stopped a bullet fired in his direction, police said.

In the affidavit, Bell said he went to his daughter?s Gay Street home with a loaded .32-caliber Ingram Arms six-shot revolver. Bell was yelling inside the home and fired a round into the floor. He heard police yelling at him outside so he went to the front door with his gun in his hand. Officers shot at him, so he shot back, he said.

The affidavit also says:

Bell pointed the gun at his sister-in-law and threatened to kill her while she was holding a 9-month-old child in her arms. He also pointed the gun at his niece and threatened to kill her.

Witnesses said Bell came in the house waving a gun and threatened to kill everyone.

Caudill said he saw Bell leave the house with something in his right hand and ordered him to get on the ground. Bell turned toward him with something in his right hand so Caudill fired a less-than-lethal round. Bell then fired his handgun at Caudill. Less lethal is not an approriate response to an armed suspect!

Caudill was treated and released from a local hospital. Bell was in serious condition at a local hospital until his release and subsequent arrest Tuesday. He is being held at Allen County Jail without bond.

Another save by a BRV.

Quoted: Amother save by a BRV.

I didnt see any mention of a mother being saved..... Also, I think your space bar is broke.

Quoted: Quoted: Amother save by a BRV. I didnt see any mention of a mother being saved..... Also, I think your space bar is broke.

Maybe it was just a typo, substituting M for N.?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Amother save by a BRV. I didnt see any mention of a mother being saved..... Also, I think your space bar is broke. Maybe it was just a typo, substituting M for N.?

Typo.