South Carolina Mother Draws Gun to Stop Domestic Violence Attack

A mother’s love knows no bounds, and one woman in Barnwell, South Carolina was forced to draw her handgun and shoot her own son in self defense and to protect her family.

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“She was totally acting in self-defense, not only for herself but her daughter-in-law as well,” said Barnwell Police Chief Reuben Black.

Venson Tyrone Jones, 35, was shot by his mother, 58-year-old Bettie Ann Newton, outside her house on Turner Street around noon on Saturday, Oct. 22. The shooting followed a domestic situation where he attacked his estranged wife, 37-year-old Wanda Sherice Badger, with a hammer at her car outside Jones’ home, which is also on Turner Street.

Although it isn’t entirely clear what set Jones off that day, police say he asked Badger to bring him a case of water and began to beat her in the head with a hammer as she was retrieving the water from her car. Badger was able to drive away from the brutal attack and drove to Newton’s home to escape.

“He told her he was going to kill her. She floored it and drove away,” said Black, who also stated Jones’ own mother had an “ongoing fear” of her son.

Following the violent beating of his estranged wife, Jones followed Badger to Newton’s home where Newton’s husband tried to restrain Jones in the yard but he “couldn’t keep (Jones) contained” while making threats toward his mother. Newton told police her son “charged at her” and, fearing for her life, she shot her son at least once in the abdomen.

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Police found Jones suffering from a gunshot wound on Newton’s front porch when they responded to a call at the residence. Jones was airlifted to Augusta University Medical Center in Augusta, GA where he remains under medical care.

Venson Tyrone Jones, aka “Roanay”, was arrested in October 2010 in a sting state, local, and federal agencies had planned for over a year and a half. The operation produced 14 arrests on charges related to drugs, money laundering, and illegal firearms possession. “It was a cocaine empire, a drug organization” said Hampton County Sheriff T.C. Smalls at the time. Jones was convicted on January 16, 2013 in federal court on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to 51 months (4 years) in prison.

Badger was transported to the hospital with multiple injuries, including a laceration to her head and several defense wounds. She has since been released.

Chief Black said Jones will be served with a warrant for attempted murder as soon as he is released from the hospital and that more charges could be added later.

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