A Silver Creek man has been convicted of aggravated assault after allegedly shooting his girlfriend in the back with a rifle during a domestic dispute.
According to court documents, 55-year-old James Stanley Roberts was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault – domestic violence with a deadly weapon following the incident, which occurred on East Smith Ferry Road in Silver Creek in March 2022.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported seeing Roberts intentionally fire a shot at his girlfriend from less than 20 feet away, leaving the victim paralyzed.
“Domestic violence cases are particularly hard to prosecute due to the nature of the relationships between the parties,” Fifteenth Circuit Court District Attorney Hal Kittrell stated. “The citizens of this state and Lawrence County made clear that they will not tolerate shooting an innocent person in the back for no other reason than anger. This conviction delivers justice to the community and the victim’s family for the lasting damage that Roberts has caused.”
Roberts is currently facing up to 25 years in prison for the charge due to his use of a firearm in the commission of the felony. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, February 16 in Jefferson Davis County.
