Drunk San Angelo Man Arrested for Shooting at an Apartment

SAN ANGELO— A San Angelo man was arrested Tuesday after firing a .22 at one individual and pointing the rifle in the face of another.

James Edward Smith, 45, of San Angelo, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Smith allegedly shot a .22 caliber rifle at one man and then pointed it in the face of another.

According to court documents, on June 13, 2023, at 2:37 a.m., eight San Angelo police officers responded to the Village Apartment on the 200 block of South Filmore Street for a reported shooting. When officers arrived and started approaching the apartments, witnesses pointed to a male subject who was fleeing the scene.

The subject, identified as Smith, was fleeing on foot between the apartment building towards Colorado Street where officers caught up to him and detained him.

The first victim was uncooperative and was uninjured in the incident. When Smith shot at the first victim, this prompted the initial phone call to police. A witness who was walking her dogs at the time of the shooting said the first victim ran past her and stated that Smith had a gun. The witness heard another shot and ran inside her apartment and told her mother to call the police.

The second victim went outside the apartment to see who was shooting. He went outside to the back of the apartment with a flashlight. Smith came walking around the corner with a rifle and the victim raised his flashlight and asked what he wanted and what he was doing. Then, the victim said Smith stumbled as he tried to load or unjam his rifle and pointed it right in the victim’s face.

The end of the rifle was so close to the victim that he was able to grab the end of the gun and swing his flashlight at Smith and hit him in the head or neck area. Smith backed away, still pointing the rifle at the victim as his sister pulled him inside the apartment.

Another witness who was arriving to his family’s house observed Smith shoot at the first victim. He got back into his car and told his girlfriend to call 911. The victims and witnesses said Smith appeared drunk.

The investigator attempted to speak with Smith who refused to cooperate. A search warrant was obtained to Smith’s apartment and inside, a black .22 caliber rifle with a black scope was located in plain view inside Smith’s front door.

Smith was arrested and booked into the Tom Green County Detention Facility on June 13. 2023, and is currently an inmate on $100,000 bond.