Christopher C. Demetris, a Bay City resident, is facing single counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Reckless Use of a Firearm, He is 56 years old and has accepted a plea deal. Demetris was accused of pulling a gun on his neighbor because his kids were playing too loudly in the pool.
The situation that led to the charges against Demetris took place at about 4:45 pm on July 4th of this year in Bay County, Michigan. Police responded to a call from a man who claimed that his neighbor had pointed a loaded weapon at him in front of his children. Officers arrived on the scene to discover one very irate man who claimed that he was having problems with his neighbor, Demetris.
According to what the man told police, his kids were playing in the pool outside when he heard Demetris’ sister curse out loud at them about how noisy they were. Upset, he went outside to confront her about using foul language in front of his children, at which point Demetris came to the door with a loaded .45 revolver.
In the neighbor’s version of the story, Demetris pointed the gun at him and cocked the hammer. But Demetris claims that the gun remained at his side throughout the confrontation. He also says that the gun was unloaded and that he pulled the trigger several times to prove this point to his neighbor. He also made it known that he had a license to own the gun.
In his explanation for why he brought a gun into the confrontation, Demetris told police officers that it was for self defense. “I came out on the porch with the gun because I don’t know who this guy is. I am going to protect my family. I told the guy that we can take care of the situation this way.”
In the end, the confrontation was diffused by Demetris’ mother. She came out onto the porch and apologized to their neighbor. She later explained to police officers that her son has mental health issues and that he used medical marijuana and methadone. With regards to the marijuana use, she explained that Demetris has a patient card and is completely legal in his use.
Charges Included a Misdemeanor and a Felony
Demetris was arrested and charged with Felonious Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Reckless Use of a Firearm. Under Michigan law, the later charge is a 90 day misdemeanor, while the former is a four year felony.
At his arraignment, after Bay County District Judge Timothy J. Kelly read the charges, Demetris answered the Judge by saying that he understood the charges but that they were incorrect. “I had no bullets in the gun or nothing. I went out there to protect my mother. That’s all.” he explained to the court.
Ultimately, Demetris pled guilty to both charges. In return, the prosecution has agreed to recommend to the Judge that he receive a delayed sentence with regard to the felonious assault charge. The delayed sentence would last for one year, during which time he would be on probation. If he completes the probation successfully, the court will allow him to withdraw his felony plea and plead guilty to a lesser offense instead.
This plea deal may or have not been a good deal for Demetris. Our criminal defense team says that the defendant might not have been criminally responsible for his actions because of his mental condition. It is not known whether Demetris had an experienced attorney advocating for him or whether his mental condition was taken into account before the plea.