John G. Winschel, 51, who lives in the Jefferson County portion of Fenton, has been accused of firing a crossbow and BB gun at a vehicle passing by his home, and he allegedly bit a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy while he was being arrested, according to court documents.
On June 30, Winschel was charged with felony counts of first-degree assault, armed criminal action, resisting arrest and third-degree assault of a special victim and misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree assault and second-degree property damage. As of July 2, he was being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, court and jail records show.
According to a probable-cause statement filed by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, a House Springs man said on June 29, he was driving past Winschel’s home on Sheffield Lane when Winchel fired a crossbow at his vehicle. The man said Winschel also shot his vehicle with a BB gun and attempted to shoot him in the head.
Deputies went to Winschel’s home, and they found him sitting in front of the house. When deputies told Winschel that he was being arrested, he started to pull the BB gun from his waistband, the report said.
Deputies tackled Winschel, and during the struggle, Winschel allegedly bit one deputy on his knee cap. After Winschel was arrested, investigators allegedly found a crossbow inside the home, according to the report.
The probable-cause statement said deputies had been called to Winschel’s home twice that day due to a disturbance between Winschel and the alleged victim.