Times Journal

Posted May 10, 2012 at 2:00 pm

One man is dead and another lodged in the Russell County Detention Center on murder charges after a shooting incident last Friday morning on Branch View Lane in the Ono community in eastern Russell County, according to Kentucky State Police.

Police said the shooting took place around 8 a.m. and Russell County Dispatch notified the state police post in Columbia just minutes later.

The state police investigation showed that a verbal argument between Daniel Shane Popplewell, 43, and Charles P. Farmer, 45, both of Russell Springs, escalated into a physical altercation that led to Farmer shooting Popplewell inside Farmer’s residence.

Popplewell was allegedly shot in the upper chest area with a .38 caliber handgun, according to the authorities, and died as a result of his injuries just outside the residence. The Russell County Coroner pronounced Popplewell dead after arriving at the scene Friday morning. An autopsy was performed last Saturday at the state medical examiner’s office in Frankfort.

Farmer was arrested, charged with murder and lodged in Russell County Detention Center, according to police. The case will be presented to the Russell County Grand Jury at a time to be determined by the Commonwealth Attorney’s office. State Police Detective Mike Dubree is investigating the shooting.

The investigation took up most of the day on Friday and included a search warrant on Farmer’s home and property, police said.

No bond had been set for Farmer as of press time last week.

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An investigation by local authorities last Sunday afternoon resulted in a husband and wife being lodged in Russell County Detention Center facing multiple charges, including pointing a shotgun at police.

The incident began after a hit and run was reported just before 3 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of Off Track Betting in Jamestown and ended at a home on Hwy. 1545 in Russell Springs.

Based on witness descriptions, including a license plate number of the vehicle that fled the scene, the investigation led police to the home of Otha and Joyce Zimmerman on Bottoms Road at about 3:15 p.m.

While Russell Springs Police Officer Nathan Bradshaw and Jamestown Police Lt. Tracy Irvin were conducting their investigation, they were confronted by Otha Zimmerman, Jr., 66, who pointed a shotgun at them which prompted the officers to draw their weapons. After several commands for Zimmerman to place the shotgun on the ground went unheeded he was subdued after being struck with a police taser. Moments later, his wife Joyce, 71, picked the shotgun up but eventually complied after several commands to place the weapon on the ground and the two were taken into custody.

Otha Zimmerman was charged with two counts of first degree wanton endangerment, two counts of first degree terroristic threatening, two counts of menacing, resisting arrest, DUI and leaving the scene of an accident while Joyce Zimmerman was charged with two counts of first degree wanton endangerment, two counts of menacing and second degree hindering apprehension.

The wanton endangerment charges allege that the Zimmermans pointed the shotgun at the officers while they were investigating damage to Otha Zimmerman’s vehicle.

Both were lodged in Russell County Detention Center.

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Three Jamestown brothers were arrested late last Sunday night on various drug-related charges after a Russell County Sheriff’s Office investigation into an alleged assault, according to Deputy Sheriff Nick Bertram.

Deputies Bertram, Mark Cromwell and Dustin Bunch began investigating an alleged altercation between Phillip Bernard, 50, of Jamestown, and Robert Burton, 48, of Jamestown that took place at Bernard’s residence on Fox Point Road. Bertram and Burton were treated for various injuries, including a stab wound to the hand, at Russell County Hospital.

During their investigation, deputies obtained a search warrant for the Bernard home around midnight, according to Bertram.

Deputies arrested Phillip Bernard on second degree assault charges in connection with the altercation with Burton. He was also charged with three counts of terroristic threatening for allegedly threatening the deputies, trafficking in marijuana, third degree trafficking in a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence.

Also taken into custody was Ricky Bernard, 48, and Roger Bernard, 45. Both were charged with trafficking in marijuana and third degree trafficking in a controlled substance. Ricky Bernard was also charged with tampering with physical evidence.

All three were taken to Russell County Detention Center.