Milton man charged with aggravated battery

A man called the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s office Monday after he claimed he had been shot in his buttocks by his girlfriend’s father.

The suspect, 49-year-old Bruce Morrell of Milton, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony after he admitted to firing a revolver at the ground, but instead accidentally clipped his daughter’s boyfriend in his buttocks after he told a deputy he got into an argument with the man. 

According to the arrest report, when Deputy Clayton Gullatt arrived on scene, he was met by William Garrett who advised the deputy he had been shot in the buttocks.

Garrett said he was at the house, where he lives with his girlfriend, when he complained about the bathroom being “messed up” according to the report.

Garrett then told the officer that he started arguing with Morrell over the bathroom, and Morrell, who lives in the home told Garrett to leave the house. 

The report stated Garrett stated he then left the house with a basket of his belongings and while he was standing outside waiting for his girlfriend, he got “shot in the butt” by Morrell, who he saw standing at the front door with a gun.

Garrett said he then ran with his girlfriend to the neighbor’s house to get away.

When Gullatt made contact with the victim’s girlfriend, Krystal Horne, she stated that Garrett became confrontational with her parents over the messy bathroom and Morrell told Garrett to leave the house.

Horne stated that when she walked outside with Garrett to leave, Morrell came outside with a gun and discharged the gun.  She stated the bullet hit her boyfriend in the buttocks.

When deputies spoke with Rebecca Horne, who was also in the home during the incident, she told officers she saw Morrell come out of the bedroom with a gun in his hand.  The report stated Rebecca saw Morrell stick the gun outside of the door and discharge the firearm.

When Gullatt spoke with Morrell, he told the deputy that Garrett threatened him when he started an argument with him over the cleanliness of the bathroom.

Morrell said when the argument became confrontational, he went to the bedroom and picked up a .22 caliber revolver and went to the front of the house where Garrett was standing and fired the gun at the ground.

According to the report, Morrell said he only intended to scare Garrett when he shot at the ground.

Morrell was arrested and placed in Santa Rosa County Jail where he later posted $5,000 bond.