Man Arrested on Firearm, Assault Charges

A New Year's Eve celebration turned into an altercation, leading to the arrest of a West Plains man on multiple charges. The Howell County Sheriff's Office took to Facebook to announce their New Year's holiday arrests and traffic stops on January 2 and made mention of an incident on County Road 8870, south of West Plains, that involved gunfire and an arrest.
 
Deputies with the Sheriff's Office responded to the residency at 1:26 am on Jan. 1 for a domestic assault call with possible shots fired, according to court documents. They spoke with a woman, identified as the spouse of Dakota James Henson, 39, of West Plains, in the felony complaint. She told Deputy Robert Malone that he had bitten her cheek. Malone observed the teeth marks and discoloration on her face. She said this occurred outside the home while trying to break up a fight between Henson and his son. Henson was allegedly intoxicated and pulled a handgun on a man, identified as DO in court documents. This man told authorities he had gone inside the house to grab his friend’s phone, bending over the couch to pick up the phone and felt something in his back as he came up. He alleges Henson was aiming a handgun at him as he turned around before he ran out the door and into a vehicle, driving to the end of the driveway.
 
He said he heard gunshots from the house before he left to report it to the Sheriff's Office. 
 
In the probable cause statement, Deputy Malone said this is not the first time of reports of a firearm being used illegally by Henson, saying “I believe that when he is in an intoxicated state he is a danger to others.”
An event report from the sheriff's office dated May 7, 2023, involves Henson and Zachary Parrish, who was shot in the knee. The reporting party, who was not identified in the report, alleged the shooting was accidental.
 
Howell County News spoke with Parrish, who insists the shooting was deliberate, that Henson was the one who called 911, and that no arrests or charges came from the incident. 
 
Henson has been charged with three felonies: second degree domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon – subsection five – while intoxicated – loaded weapon, and unlawful use of a weapon – subsection four – exhibiting; and misdemeanor fourth degree assault – pursuant to subdivision (3). He was initially held without bond until his arraignment on Jan. 3, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges and bond was set at $5,000 cash or corporate surety. He had a criminal setting set for Jan. 6 at the Howell County Courthouse.
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