Oconee County Man Charged With Aggravated Assault

Oconee County deputies say they arrested a 64-year-old Bishop man on one count of aggravated assault after he allegedly fired a .22 handgun toward the direction of his son, the son's pregnant girlfriend and her mother as the women attempted to leave the residential property Sunday evening.

The incident reportedly happened about 5:30 p.m. at a Hopping Road home near .  According to an incident report on file at the , deputies responded to a call regarding an armed and dangerous man.   When they arrived, they staged in the roadway and parking lot of the school.

One man, later identified as the suspect's son, exited the home and followed orders to lay on the ground.  Next, a woman, later identified as the suspect's wife, came out of the house.  Deputies then ordered the suspect to exit the porch, which he did.  But deputies say he was uncooperative and combative and had to be tased in order to be subdued and handcuffed.

Once the suspect was in custody,  the son, a victim, spoke with deputies.  He explained the argument began when his father told him and his girlfriend to leave. A physical fight ensued and the girlfriend was struck, according to one of the responding deputy's reports. During the fight, the son said his father "broke away, saying he had something for him and went and got a gun," the incident report noted. The son was able to grab the gun from his father and escorted his girlfriend and her mother to the car. As he was helping the women leave, the son said his father somehow got ahold of the gun again and fired a shot in their direction.  Fortunately, no one was hit by the bullet and the women left the scene.   The son said he then ran back inside and again took the gun away from his father just as deputies were arriving. 

Phillip Christopher Fugett, Sr. was charged with aggravated assault and booked into the Oconee County Jail.  An arrest does not mean a conviction.

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