A former Van Buren County sheriff’s deputy has been indicted on felony assault charges for allegedly waving his service weapon inside a local business where he was looking for his wife.
The defendant, Travis Bates, 26, of McMinnville was indicted on the charge of aggravated assault. The crime carries three to six years if convicted.
According to the victim, Bates entered Cash and Dash on North Chancery Street and demanded to know the whereabouts of his wife. The victim, who was an employee at the business, did not tell him where she was and he left for a short time.
“He went out to his vehicle and came back with a gun,” the woman testified during preliminary hearing.
The victim said Bates then pulled back the slide on the gun and released it as if to chamber a round. Police say he was trying to intimidate the victim into telling him where his wife was. However, the victim refused.
Unable to get information, Bates left without harming the victim. She contacted police and Bates was stopped. He was fired as a deputy shortly after the incident.
Bates indicted for waving service gun
