Man shot while forcing his way into residence

By Abby Morris
Star Staff
amorris@starhq.com

   A man was shot and injured late Saturday afternoon after attempting to break into a residence, according to reports from the Carter County Sheriff's Department.
   Ray Brandon, no age or address available, was shot in his lower right leg, just above the ankle. He was taken to Sycamore Shoals Hospital for treatment of his injury and was later released.
   Charges in the matter are pending the conclusion of an investigation, but, according to Sheriff Henson, Brandon will face charges in the incident. "There's going to be charges placed against him because he was trying to kick a man's door down and the man shot him," Henson said.
   Sgt. Keith Range of the CCSD was responding to the call of an attempted break in at the home of Roger Morefield at 150 Okalona Road, Johnson City when the 911 Communications Center advised him that shots had been fired at the residence.
   Range stated in his report that the dispatcher advised that "the suspect had left in a blue GMC Jimmy Blazer headed towards Milligan Highway." At that time, officers with the Carter County Sheriff's Department as well as the Elizabethton Police Department were advised to be on the look out for the vehicle matching that description.
   After Range arrived at Morefield's residence, Morefield advised the officer that Brandon had come to his residence making threats to kill him and attempted to kick the front door in. "Mr. Morefield advised he came out of the residence with a .22 caliber rifle and advised Mr. Brandon to leave," the report states. "Mr. Morefield stated that Mr. Brandon still refused to leave and continued making threats towards him." Morefield told the officer that at that time, he "fired a couple of rounds from the rifle."
   While Range was talking to Morefield and witnesses to the incident, officers from the Elizabethton Police Department had located the vehicle that was described as having the subjects in it. EPD Capt. Arthur Smithdeal had initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle on West Elk Avenue near the intersection with Hudson Drive, near the CVS Pharmacy. It was at that time that officers discovered that Brandon had been shot in the incident.
   The case has been turned over to the Criminal Investigations Division of the Carter County Sheriff's Department. Investigators took reports from the witnesses at Morefield's residence as well as from three persons who were in the GMC Jimmy Blazer when it was stopped by law enforcement officers. Charges in the matter are pending the conclusion of the investigation.