Greencastle man facing charges after reportedly shooting at wife

A 52-year-old Greencastle man is facing a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon for allegedly discharging a sawed-off shotgun in the direction of his estranged wife.

Robert E. Reid was lodged in the Putnam County Jail following an incident that unfolded about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday outside the Reid residence at Lot 6 in the mobile home park at 800 N. Madison St.

Reid is being held on charges of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon and criminal confinement with a deadly weapon.

Reid was initially booked in at the jail on an attempted murder charge, but police officials said after consultation with the Putnam County Prosecutor's Office Thursday afternoon, the charge was amended to criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.

Greencastle City Police officers were called to the mobile home park about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday on a report of gunshots being fired.

Chief Tom Sutherlin was first on the scene and took the suspect into custody.

Bystanders had successfully wrestled the gun away from the suspect and had restrained him, GPD Assistant Chief Brian Hopkins told the Banner Graphic.

The incident is seen as the culmination of an ongoing domestic situation, police said, in which Joyce and Robert Reid had been in court as recently as Aug. 30 for a dissolution of marriage hearing.

In the incident Wednesday, the wife reported being grazed by a pellet from the sawed-off shotgun allegedly wielded by her estranged husband.

However, she was checked out by Operation Life paramedics and signed a statement of release without being transported.

Further investigation of the incident revealed that Reid has cameras trained on his mobile home. Authorities obtained a search warrant Thursday morning to secure any possible video from those cameras as well as other information pertinent to the case.

The investigation is ongoing with Det. Michael Collins still conducting interviews.

Assisting Chief Sutherlin and Det. Collins at the scene were GPD Assistant Chief Hopkins, Sgt. Ed Wilson and Officers Nick Eastham and Kyle Lee.