By John Howell Sr.

Report of shots fired near apartments on Leonard Street Sunday night brought a flurry of law enforcement response that ultimately led to the arrest of Anthony Jones, 107 Martin Luther King St., Batesville, for aggravated assault.

Levi McKinny told Batesville police patrolman Brandon Moses that Jones had accosted him as he attempted to visit his mother at the apartments, Moses’ report stated. “McKinny told Jones to leave, that he did not want any trouble,” the officer’s report continued.

“Jones left and about 15 minutes later as McKinny was trying to leave Jones drove up to McKinny’s car and blocked him in,” according to the report.

When McKinny got out of his car, Jones fired a short from a handgun, striking a finger on McKinny’s left hand. “McKinny grabbed the gun and began to hit Jones on the head with it. As they were fighting over the gun it went off a second time, allegedly striking McKinny on the right side of his face,” Moses continued. Jones fled.

Officers responding to the call moved north through Patton Lane toward Armstrong Street, according to the report, but Jones eluded them temporarily.

McKinny was transported to the Tri-Lakes Medical Center Emergency Room and Moses notified the Sardis Police Department about Jones’ possible location where they soon located him. Jones was transported by ambulance, also to the Tri-Lakes ER, for treatment of two large wounds on his head. “He also had a bite mark on his right wrist,” Moses observed.

After treatment at Tri-Lakes, Jones, age 30, was charged with discharging a firearm in the city and use of a deadly weapon, in addition to the aggravated assault charge. He was transported to the Panola County Jail. No bond is yet set.

McKinny was also treated in the emergency room and released. BPD Deputy Chief Don Province said that doctors found a small hole in McKinny’s cheek which may have been a bullet’s entrance and exit path, he said.

“We don’t really know yet what the dispute was about,” Province said. He said the men are brothers-in-law.