The suspect allegedly used an air-powered replica of the AK-47 shown here. No weapons were found.
The suspect accused the victim of stealing stimulant drugs.
John Johnson
john johnson news@gmail.com
GRAHAM COUNTY – A man allegedly attacked a woman south of Safford on Saturday night using a CO2-powered replica AK-47 after she accused her of stealing methamphetamine.
Tyler James Goucher, 39, of Graham County, allegedly shot his victim multiple times with a CO2-powered AK-47 replica during the altercation. No weapons were recovered. A popular replica available for purchase – Brothers in Arms AK-74 – comes with a fake 18-shot AK-47 magazine of his and is capable of firing projectiles up to 450 feet per second (FPS) of his CO2-powered Steel BB air gun. , which equates to over 300 mph. Police reports said Goucher shot the victim during the altercation because he thought she had stolen her meth. Her victim said Gauche not only shot her, but hit her with her rifle itself, which struck her in the leg.
Upon contact, the victim was bleeding with multiple open wounds on his right leg, side and shoulder. She was taken by lifeline ambulance by paramedics to Mount Graham Regional Medical Center, where she was treated and released.
Gauche was originally booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on Sunday for two counts of aggravated assault and one count of disorderly conduct with a lethal weapon, a felony.
However, Goucher was formally charged with assault/domestic violence and disorderly conduct on Tuesday after the alleged weapon could not be found and the victim was uncooperative.
Goucher, who was on probation for a previous DUI, failed to appear in court on the new aggravated DUI charge, and two warrants for his arrest were issued with bonds set at $10,000 each.
Goucher also had additional warrants for a separate incident in late 2021 for weapons violations. In that case, he was charged with two counts of endangering conduct, two counts of disorderly conduct with a deadly weapon, and one count of intimidation or intimidation. He also refused to appear in court in that case and was issued a writ with a surety set at $5,000.
Multiple sheriffs and Safford police officers responded south of Safford around 8:30 p.m. when a man reported picking up a woman who had been shot with a shotgun, according to reports from the Graham County Sheriff’s Office. The man said his wife told him to go to the Critter Lane address and pick up the woman. As he did so, he said a black truck passed very close to him and the victim said the suspect was the driver. Stated.
Law enforcement descended on Gauche’s property on Block 7000 of Critter Lane, armed with patrol rifles and Safford police armored vehicles. There was a black Ford truck on the property, but Gauche was nowhere to be seen. A search of the residence yielded a small amount of methamphetamine and a charred spoon containing obvious drug residues and evidence of blood, but no weapon was found.
After no suspects were found, the county’s K-9 officer, Kukui, and Thatcher’s K-9 officer, Apollo, also searched the property. The dog and its handler then followed a series of tracks to a nearby camper, where Gauche eventually hid. He was subsequently detained and sedated at MGRMC for “insane behavior”. After being medically cleared, he was transferred to prison.
On Monday, the victim was interviewed by an attorney who insisted she would not press charges and said she was armed with a knife during the shooting and had planned to stab Gauche. I couldn’t find a knife like that. The victim also refused to sign a medical information release for prosecution, saying Goucher believed he would get more from addiction rehabilitation centers and that prison would only make his addiction worse. rice field.
