The Independence County Sheriff’s Department has filed affidavits for warrants of arrest for two Sulphur Rock men in the Monday night shooting in that town.
The court information said the sheriff’s department was called to the area of Highway 69 and South College Street in Sulphur Rock, near the Joseph Bramblett residence.
The woman who made the 911 call concerning the shooting incident, Misty Bailey, was located by deputies when they arrived on scene.
She said to officers, “He’s been shot.” Officers said she then yelled out, “Where are you?” A man’s voice called out, “I’m here.”
Deputies then found a man lying in the field and suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He is George Bailey, who is conscious and identifies one of the attackers as 34-year-old Joseph Bramblett. George Bailey and Misty Bailey provided officers with names of others who were in the field during the shooting incident.
The second shooter is identified from a photo array as 34-year-old Dennis Burger, Jr.
Bramblett (left), Berger (right)
A witness, whose name was not in the court information, arrived at the South College Street address with Berger. The witness said when they arrived, Bramblett was armed with a pistol and was accusing Misty and George Bailey of theft.
As the situation escalated, the Baileys were ordered by Bramblett to go out and get into his truck, where they then drove into a nearby field. While driving in that field, a struggle ensued inside the truck between George Bailey and Bramblett resulting into the truck crashing into a tree. Meanwhile, the witness and Berger, who had been following the truck, got out of their vehicle and approached the pickup on foot.
The court documents went on to say, Berger ran up to the truck, yelled for them to stop fighting in the truck, and then fired one shot from his handgun into the pickup. Both men inside the truck get out, with Bramblett walking up to George Bailey and shooting him one time with a handgun. The police information said Bailey fell to the ground and did not move. The witness then said Bramblett yelled “get her” referring to Misty who had run away. The involved parties then left the scene in the vehicles, leaving George Bailey lying wounded in the field, and Misty Bailey hiding in the woods.
Police say they interviewed George Bailey at the White River Medical Center the next day and showed him an array of photos. The court information says Bailey selected Bramblett and Berger Junior as the men who shot him.
The charges against Joseph Ray Bramblett are first-degree battery and possession of a firearm by a certain person — both felonies. Dennis D. Berger, Jr. is charged with battery in the first degree — a felony.
As the two men enter circuit court proceedings, each will be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Judge Chaney Taylor placed each man’s bail at $100,000.
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