Kanawha County deputies are asking folks in the eastern end of the county to keep their eyes open tonight. A warrant is out for a Glasgow man accused of opening fire outside a home in Belle on Wednesday evening, and the Sheriff's Office says he is believed to still be armed.
According to the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to the 300 block of West Main Street in Belle at about 7:16 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, after a 911 caller reported that someone had been shot. When they got there, they found Darin Barefield, 32, of Belle, with a gunshot wound to his right foot.
What Deputies Say Happened
Investigators allege that Joey Martin, 47, of Glasgow, fired several rounds from a handgun during the incident, and that one of those rounds hit Barefield in the foot.
The Sheriff's Office also alleges that Barefield's father, Herbert Barefield, stepped out of the house, and that Martin pointed the handgun at him and threatened to kill him. Deputies say the elder Barefield went back inside and hid.
Martin was gone before deputies arrived. A warrant has now been issued charging him with malicious or unlawful assault and wanton endangerment involving a firearm. The Sheriff's Office says the investigation is active and more charges could follow.
Do Not Approach Him
Deputies are clear on one point: Martin is believed to still be armed, and nobody should try to approach him. If you see him or know where he might be, call the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office at 304-357-0169 or dial 911. Anonymous tips can also be sent through the Sheriff's Office website at kanawhasheriff.us.
Belle and the communities along the Kanawha River up through Glasgow are the kind of places where neighbors know each other's trucks and porch lights. That's exactly why a share or a quick call can make a difference in getting this resolved safely.
As always, Martin is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in a court of law. We'll update this story when deputies share more.