An incident of violence took a perilous turn in East Austin when a man allegedly threatened another with an assault rifle over a community basketball court, ending with the aggressor shooting himself. According to an affidavit obtained by KVUE, 31-year-old Jacob Wheatley was charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon following the confrontation that took place around 7:15 p.m. on July 23. Wheatley is now facing a second-degree felony charge after the heated argument over court space.
The dispute began when the victim and his son, playing basketball at Zaragoza Recreation Center, were interrupted by Wheatley and others who began to use the entire court. Tensions escalated, leading them to "settle it outside," wherein Wheatley subsequently retrieved an AR-15 from his car and pointed it at the victim. I’m going to "slide," Wheatley allegedly said, which the victim interpreted as a threat of physical assault, CBS Austin reports.
Witnesses to the event recounted seeing Wheatley brandish the rifle and a gunshot being heard shortly thereafter. Surveillance and cellphone video captured the moment Wheatley pointed the weapon and "hopped on one leg" after the gun went off. The bystanders, including the primary witness and his son, then saw Wheatley enter a black Dodge Journey, which was later seen driving across the street before stopping to allow another person to drive away.
About 15 minutes following the incident, Wheatley arrived at St. David's Medical Center with a gunshot wound. An officer at the scene recognized Wheatley, matching the description from the earlier altercation. It was Wheatley's girlfriend who had driven him in the same Dodge Journey to the hospital, KVUE detailed. Bond for Wheatley has been set at $30,000 for the charges he is now facing in connection to the altercation.
