He claimed the shooting was accidental but Hernando deputies said the evidence did not back up his story.

DADE CITY – A Dade City man was arrested after his girlfriend accused him of shooting her in the back, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said.

His girlfriend was treated on scene by Hernando County Fire Rescue and then taken to a local trauma center for advanced care.

Ronald Crisp, 41, was charged with one count each of Aggravated Battery w/a Firearm Causing Great Bodily Injury (Domestic), Shooting a Deadly Missile (Dwelling), Tampering with a Witness, Possession of a Firearm with an Altered Serial Number, and Possession of Short Barreled Rifle.

Operators in the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center said they received a 9-1-1 hang-up call about 6:11 a.m. Wednesday (May 8). When operators called the number back, a man, later identified as Crisp, answered the phone. Crisp told operators that while “cleaning” his gun, he accidentally shot his girlfriend.

When a woman in the background began to scream, the call was again disconnected.

After the 9-1-1 operator called back several times, Crisp answered the phone. Again, the 9-1-1 operator could hear a woman screaming in the background to give her the phone. The call was disconnected again, and no further contact was made by phone.

Patrol deputies said they arrived at the home on Reynolds Street in Dade City (Hernando County) and found a woman bleeding from her lower back. The woman was treated on scene by Hernando County Fire Rescue and then taken to a local trauma center for advanced care.

When interviewed on scene, detectives said Crisp told them that he was “clearing” his gun and it accidentally went off. Crisp said that, when the gun discharged, the round went through the wall into the living room area. He claimed he then heard his girlfriend screaming that she’d been shot.

Detectives said they talked with the girlfriend at the hospital when she was out of surgery. Her story did not match Crisp’s.

She told detectives that the shooting was not an accident. The girlfriend said she and Crisp had been arguing for a few days, and the argument had continued into the morning in the couple’s bedroom. During the argument that morning, Crisp had a pocket knife in his hands.

The girlfriend left the bedroom for a few moments. When she returned, deputies said she told them that Crisp was holding the handgun. Words were exchanged then the girlfriend walked out of the bedroom again, closing the door behind her.

She said she heard a shot, then felt pain in her lower back. She screamed for Crisp to call 911, as he had the only phone. Crisp hesitated to make the call, so she said she tried to get the phone from him but was unable to get it. Crisp told her to go get his gun cleaning kit.

The girlfriend left the home to try to get help. Unable to do so, she returned to the house.

Detectives executed a search warrant on the residence.

During a search of the residence, detectives said they found a .380 caliber handgun (with an altered serial number) and a pocket knife in the bedroom. They also found a bullet hole in the bedroom door, consistent with the girlfriend’s statement. Detectives said they also found a short-barreled rifle with no identifiable serial number hidden in the master bedroom.

Detectives said there was no bullet hole in the wall where Crisp said one would be from the gun “cleaning” and/or “clearing” accident.

Hernando Sheriff | Crime | Shooting | Arrests | Tampabay News

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