WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark — An Oklahoma deputy has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault during his arraignment on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
According to Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett, Adams will appear before Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay for trial on Jan. 27, 2023.
Travis Adams, 33, was arrested Friday, Sept. 23 after deputies say he shot a man in Washington County on Sept. 3.
Adams is an Adair County, Oklahoma deputy and was off-duty at the time of the shooting. He was being held at the Washington County Detention Center and was released Saturday, Sept. 24 on a $50,000 bond. He first appeared in court on Monday, Sept. 26.
Deputies say the shooting happened on Pleasant Hill Road in the rural Lincoln area. When deputies arrived, they say they found Justin Hellyer was shot twice in the abdomen by Adams.
Officials say Hellyer pulled into Adams’s driveway and parked in the yard. Adams was sitting on the front porch and when he saw Hellyer, he went inside to get a Glock 17 9mm pistol.
Officials say Adams came back outside and yelled for Hellyer to leave and Hellyer refused. Adams fired one round toward the tree line to his right, and Hellyer rolled down the window and began arguing with Adams.
Investigators say Adams then walked closer to the vehicle and fired another round in the same direction as Hellyer continued to argue with him.
According to investigators, Hellyer opened the door of the vehicle but remained seated inside as Adams got closer to the opened vehicle door, pointing his gun toward the ground between him and Hellyer. Hellyer then stood up and approached Adams and the two continued arguing and shouting at one another. Investigators say Hellyer continued to approach Adams, and Adams kept pushing him away with his left arm while keeping the pistol pointed down.
According to the police report, Adams then turned the pistol around and struck Hellyer's head with the grip. The two continued arguing and Hellyer eventually reached out with his left hand and grabbed Adams by the neck. Adams backed away as Hellyer continued to approach him with his hand raised towards Adams neck.
The police report states that Adams then raised his gun and fired two rounds into Hellyer’s lower abdomen. Hellyer was transported to Washington Regional Medical Center where he underwent multiple surgeries. His condition is still unknown.
“Due to Travis Adams having the purpose of causing physical injury to another person and causing serious physical injury to a person by means of a firearm, he is being charged with first-degree battery, and due to Travis Adams displaying a firearm in such a manner that created a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person, he is being charged with aggravated assault,” said WCSO in a statement.
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