Man threatens wife’s rescuers with pistol, say police

Published 5:04 pm Tuesday, March 9, 2010

An O’Brien man allegedly threatened to shoot rescue workers who were treating his wife after they were called by a neighbor. Eighty-three year old James “Brownie” Curley Bass also threatened to shoot his wife, a neighbor and a sheriff’s deputy, according to a report filed by Sheriff’s Deputy Sheriff David Allen.

On Sunday Bass reportedly “disabled all the telephones at the residence” he and his 85-year-old wife shared in O’Brien. Meanwhile, Bass was said to be holding his wife inside against her will. When Bass fell asleep, the wife tried to escape to a neighbor so he could call for help.

The neighbor found Bass’s wife lying in the yard and called 9-1-1, according to the report. Allen said that Bass then stood over his wife and pointed a 9 mm pistol at her and the neighbor.

“Defendant stated to neighbor and wife he would kill both of them and anyone who tried to take away him or his wife while pointing the gun at them,” Allen reported.

When emergency workers arrived, Bass reportedly put the pistol in a holster wrapped around his neck and under his left arm. Allen reported that Bass “told a paramedic/firefighter that he would shoot him and anyone else there. I arrived and ordered the defendant to lay the weapon down and he refused. Defendant told me two times that he would shoot me.”

Allen said he had to grab Bass’s right hand and push the pistol away from him several times before he was finally able to handcuff him.

Bass was arrested and charged with aggravated assault (domestic violence), aggravated assault, assault on a law enforcement officer and EMT official, assault on a person over the age of 65 and false imprisonment.