Kentucky Dad Shoots Up House After Repeatedly Losing Arm Wrestle Against Son
A father in Kentucky is accused of allegedly firing a gun inside his home after becoming "agitated" when he repeatedly lost an arm wrestle against his sons.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office said they were called to an address in Florence following a report of a subject with a weapon just before 1 a.m. on July 6.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they found two family members outside the home who had escaped safely.
The father, 55-year-old Curtis Zimmerman, refused to come out of the house when prompted to, resulting in a standoff with police which lasted several hours.
Deputies learned Zimmerman had been intoxicated on the night in question and had challenged his juvenile son to an arm wrestle. Police said after the father lost "multiple times," Zimmerman got angry and started fighting with his son.
As his son tried to run up the stairs, Zimmerman allegedly fired two shots inside the home. Zimmerman claimed to deputies that he had fired at the ceiling.
No one was injured as a result of the gun being fired inside the home. The age of the boy that Zimmerman had arm wrestled with has not been released.
Following the eight-hour standoff at his home, Zimmerman surrendered to members of the Boone County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team and the Florence Police Department SWAT Team on Monday morning without further incident.
"The Boone County Sheriff's Office Hostage Negotiation Team spoke with Zimmerman throughout the morning and ultimately negotiated his safe surrender," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
Zimmerman was the only person inside the home during the eight-hour standoff, deputies said.
After being taken into custody, Zimmerman was transported to St. Elizabeth in Florence to be evaluated.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office said once he has been medically cleared from the hospital, he will be arrested on suspicion of one count of first degree wanton endangerment, a Class D felony, and transported to the Boone County Detention Center.
Zimmerman will be held on a $5,000 bond, according to an arrest warrant.
"Charges in a criminal complaint are accusations only," The Boone County Sheriff's Office added in a statement. "It is the government's burden to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt."
Online records appear to show that Zimmerman is not yet being held at the Boone County Detention Center after he was sent for medical evaluation.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office has been contacted for further comment.
