BENTONVILLE, Ark. —A Rogers man pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and illegal possession of a firearm after he admitted to taking turns with a neighbor testing a bulletproof vest last year, according to Benton County prosecuting attorney Nathan Smith.
Charles Eugene Ferris, 51, was sentenced to 27 days in the Benton County Jail and five years of probation.
Benton County Sheriff’s deputies were originally called to Mercy Hospital in March 2019 to investigate a male who had been shot multiple times while wearing a bullet-proof vest, according to an affidavit.
Ferris, 51, and Christopher Hicks, 36, were arrested in April in connection to the aggravated assault.
Ferris originally lied to investigators, claiming someone from the edge of a tree line began shooting at him and his “asset” on Highway 12.
Ferris changed his story about the incident and said he did not want to get Hicks in trouble, so he made up his prior story, court records state.
He then told police what really happened and said he had been drinking on his back deck with Hicks and wanted Hicks to shoot him with the vest on.
Hicks shot Ferris with a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle. The bullet hit the top left corner of the vest stopping the bullet but leaving a red mark, court records state.
Ferris told police he was “pissed” and Hicks put the vest on.
Ferris then “unloaded the clip into Hicks’ back,” according to a police report.
No rounds from the .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle penetrated the vest.
(KNWA contributed to this report)
