Columbia man charged in Monday shooting and crash

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man faces several assault and weapons charges following a shots-fired incident in north Columbia on Monday.

Montrez Ricketts, 43, was charged with three counts of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. He is being held without bond at the Boone County Jail.

Columbia police officers were dispatched around 11:19 a.m. to the intersection of Vandiver Drive and Sylvan Lane after multiple calls of shots fired were reported. Officers found three alleged victims in the area, as well as three .40 caliber shell casings and one 9mm shell casing, according to the probable cause statement.

One of the alleged victims said a fight occurred earlier in the day and that a woman who they didn't know was harassing them at their residence. The alleged victim said Ricketts also came over and a fight started between Ricketts and another one of the alleged victims.

The first alleged victim said the woman had made threats to have someone shoot up the house and Ricketts allegedly told someone the victim knew that he was going to do it, according to the statement.

The alleged victim did not feel safe at the house and asked for a ride from another person who was at the residence, and all three alleged victims got into a vehicle. When they arrived to the intersection of Vandiver Drive and Sylvan Lane, a dark-colored SUV pulled up behind them and someone allegedly began shooting at them from that vehicle.

The SUV then allegedly rammed into their vehicle, and two of the alleged victims ran away out of fear of being shot, while the first victim laid on the floor of the vehicle. The victim said SUV belonged to Ricketts.

Another victim, who police say had no connections to anyone previously mentioned, called the Columbia Police Department and said his vehicle was also shot during the incident as he was driving down the road.

A Columbia police officer obtained a video that allegedly showed a dark-colored SUV -- which was a Chevrolet Traverse police said was registered to Ricketts -- chasing the vehicle containing the alleged victims.

Detectives allegedly found Ricketts' vehicle after 4 p.m. during a traffic stop. Ricketts' wife was driving and said the vehicle was with her all day, according to the probable cause statement. Her coworkers allegedly told police Ricketts came by and took the car for awhile while she was gone around 11 a.m.

Ricketts allegedly told police he was at work until 11 or 12 and left. After the officer asked Ricketts how he left work, Ricketts allegedly said, "I don't think I want to talk to you," according to the probable cause statement.

Police searched the vehicle and found a full .40 caliber round in a child's car seat. Ricketts and his wife denied knowing anything about the ammunition that was found.

Ricketts was detained. At CPD, he said he was not involved in a shooting, but did leave work early. He did not say where he was at the time of the shots-fired call aside from briefly mentioning he went to "his people's house" and then his sister's house. His sister allegedly lives near the victim, according to the probable cause statement.