Weapon found in Bridgeport search
By LINDA L. HULL, Times Leader Staff WriterBRIDGEPORT Police Officer Gerald Ray found out firsthand that nothing is more misquoted than "a routine call."
The dispatcher radioed Ray Tuesday at 11 p.m. and informed him that a subject had allegedly just fired a gun at a man outside 603 Whitely St.
When Ray approached the residence, both the supposed victim and the alleged shooter, Jeffrey Massey, 37, 603 Whitely St., denied that anything was happening, stating, according to the police report, that it must have been a prank call.
After Ray left the scene, he received another dispatch call that stated that another male had called and said that Massey allegedly had assaulted him and allegedly put a gun in his face.
Patrolman Ray then went to the alleged latest victim's home, also on Whitely Street, and confronted the alleged victim and a female who said that Massey had punched the second alleged victim in the face and allegedly put a gun to his face.
The alleged victim had a red mark on his face on the left side of his upper lip and described the gun as a black, snub-nosed revolver.
Ray then went to the Massey residence and found Sgt. John Bumba of the Martins Ferry Police Department.
Bumba told Ray that when he arrived on the scene, Massey was walking around outside his residence and was wearing a black leather jacket.
Bumba said he ordered Massey to stop walking around, but, according to the police report, he refused and walked into the basement area of the house. He was ordered to exit the residence, and he did so but then he allegedly grabbed an engine block and carried it into the basement.
When the sergeant then ordered Massey to come out of the house, he did so but it was noticed that he was not wearing the jacket.
Ray said he asked Massey what he had been doing at the victim's home and Massey stated that he went over to grab some of his belongings that were in the victim's garage.
He denied the altercation and said that he had never put a gun to the man's face.
Ray asked if he would consent to a search of the basement to see if there was a gun. Massey would not give consent and was then placed into custody for allegedly assaulting the victim.
Ray was in the process of obtaining a search warrant when Massey's wife arrived on the scene and gave her consent.
When Ray went into the basement, he found the jacket. Inside a pocket, he found a snub-nosed gun, fully loaded, according to the police report.
Massey stated that the jacket wasn't his, although Bumba had observed Massey wearing it.
Massey was told that the gun would be fingerprinted but he said the gun would show his fingerprints since he had touched it a few days before.
At this point, Massey was transported to the Belmont County Jail where he still was being held this morning on charges of felonious assault and using a weapon while intoxicated. His bond was set at $16,000 bond.
Hull can be reached at lhull@timesleaderonline.com.
