After becoming annoyed at his neighbors for yelling at their barking dog late Monday night, a Springfield man is accused of taking life-threatening measures.
Springfield Police said that Blake Biellier admitted to stepping outside his home in the 300 block of North Homewood and firing an AR-15 at two people. They were not injured, but one had a hole in his sweatshirt believed to be from a bullet grazing him.
The neighbors, whose property also appeared to be damaged by the AR-15 bullets, said they returned fire with a shotgun as means of self defense. Biellier was not injured and told police that he went back inside his home and went back to bed after the exchange of gunfire.
Biellier was booked into Greene County Jail on first-degree assault charges.
In a case that helps illustrate Springfield’s rising gun violence, Biellier told police that he fired his gun because he was “on edge” because of having trouble finding work and then hearing yelling from the neighbors.
In Biellier’s case, the first-degree assault charge is a class B felony, which carries a prison sentence if convicted of five to 15 years in prison. He also faces two counts of armed criminal action, according to court records.