Tenant accused of firing a shotgun in his landlord’s home
By Robert Cloud
Jestin E. Gay, 37, is charged with reckless endangerment with a firearm, possession of a firearm while intoxicated and criminal damage to property.
Shortly after 4:30 a.m. Thursday, May 14, Waupaca County Emergency Communications received a 911 call reporting that Gay had fired a shotgun twice while inside the caller’s home on Grandview Road in the town of Farmington.
Waupaca County Sheriff’s Deputy Bryan Strobusch made contact with the man who made the call.
The man said Gay was renting a house from him a few doors down on Grandview Road. He said he had been in bed when he heard gunshots go off. When he came out of his bedroom, the man said he found Gay “in an odd state of mind.”
Gay had left, so Strobusch and two other officers went a few doors down Grandview Road to the house Gay was renting from the man.
The landlord allowed the officers into the house, but Gay was not there. While clearing the house, the officers found a shotgun.
Strobusch and Deputy Chad Repinski then searched for Gay on foot. About 10 minutes later, Gay approached the officers. He had no weapons, but he did have two shotgun shells, police say.
According to the criminal complaint, Gay told Strobusch that when he had gone to the landlord’s house, he found him there with five other people who attacked him. He said he went into the computer room, closed the door and laid on the floor because he was afraid. Then one of the other men smashed a hole in the door, pointed a rifle through the hole and threatened to shoot him. Gay said he fired one round through the door, then stood up and fired a second round, according to the criminal complaint.
Deputies report being unable to find any physical evidence to collaborate Gay’s version of the incident. They also report that a preliminary breath test indicated his blood-alcohol level was 0.208.
Gay is currently in custody on a $5,000 cash bail.