A Gardnerville man was charged with domestic battery and cruelty to animals Wednesday after the victim fended him off with a shotgun blast and her pit bull came to her aid.
Erik McCormick, 36, was treated for injuries that included six shotgun pellets in his left leg and dog bites to his left arm and thigh.
McCormick was jailed on $4,000 bail and is to appear in East Fork Justice Court today.
The 45-year-old victim told deputies the pair had been arguing throughout the day and she demanded he leave her residence in the 1200 block of Sandstone Drive. McCormick allegedly struck her several times on the side of her head with a closed fist as she sat on the couch.
He chased her outside, threw her to the ground and pummeled her with his fists as he sat on her, according to the sheriff's office.
The victim's pit bull charged McCormick and bit him on the arm and thigh. He pinned the dog to the ground, struck the animal with his fists and threatened to kill the animal.
The victim ran back to the house and retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun. She pointed the weapon at McCormick who was still beating the dog and demanded he leave.
The victim, screaming for help, backed out of the yard with the weapon aimed at McCormick. The suspect jumped over a 4-foot fence and charged the victim.
When he failed to stop, she fired a single round towards the ground in front of McCormick injuring his leg.
The victim and the dog took refuge in a neighbor's house as McCormick, slowed by the injury, pounded on the door. Confronted by the neighbor, McCormick left.
Deputies, summoned for help at 7:40 p.m., arrested McCormick at his parents' home in the 1500 block of Topaz Ranch Road at 8:30 p.m.
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