Leesburg Man Arrested For Firing Gun, Threatening Officer
Staff Report
LEESBURG — A Leesburg man was arrested after firing a gun while intoxicated and threatening to shoot an officer.
Emerson Craig Butts Jr., 31, 104 E. Prairie St., Leesburg, is charged with intimidation with a deadly weapon, a level 5 felony; criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, a level 6 felony; and resisting law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor.
On Dec. 20, 2020, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s officer went to a location regarding a report of an intoxicated man shooting a firearm. The officer arrived at the scene and saw a man, later identified as Butts, fighting with a woman. The woman held onto Butts while he began walking toward the officer’s vehicle.
According to court documents, the officer ordered Butts to show him his hands; however, Butts allegedly continued walking toward the officer while reaching for his waistband and telling the officer he would have to shoot him. When Butts pushed the woman off of him, the officer noticed Butts did not have a firearm on his person.
The officer used a taser on Butts after he did not comply with the officer’s commands. Officers also had to use reasonable force to place Butts into an ambulance so EMS personnel could check on him.
While searching the area, officers found a handgun used by Butts. The handgun was loaded and had a live round in the chamber. A second woman at the scene said she learned that Butts was intoxicated, leading her and the woman Butts fought with to go pick up Butts. Upon arrival at the residence, Butts was upset and requested keys to a vehicle.
The second woman did not give the keys to Butts; he then went into a residence and came back out with a semi-automatic handgun. The woman said Butts fired the gun toward the ground.
Butts has an initial hearing on this case at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 25.