Nashville Porsche driver gets probation for shooting homeless man who asked her to lower music, move car
Nashville woman allegedly claimed homeless man threatened to kill her before shooting
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A woman convicted of shooting a homeless man who asked her to move her Porsche and allegedly threatened her was sentenced to no jail time in connection with the crime, according to a local affiliate report.
Katie Quackenbush was ordered on Thursday to serve 11 months and 29 days probation for the Aug. 26, 2017, shooting of Gerald Melton, 54, on Nashville’s famed Music Row, police and FOX 17 Nashville reported. Quackenbush had originally been charged with attempted murder for the early morning shooting, but was instead found guilty of misdemeanor reckless endangerment, the outlet reported.
Police said Melton was trying to sleep in the area and asked Quackenbush to move her SUV around 3 a.m. because the music was loud and the exhaust fumes were bothering him, FOX 17 reported. But the pair allegedly began arguing. According to police, Melton was returning to where he was sleeping when the woman left her vehicle and fired two shots at him, the outlet reported.
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Melton was initially critically wounded, but survived his injuries. The woman fled the area and later told police she was defending herself when he threatened her life, according to the report.
During the two-day trial in April, Quackenbush’s attorney, Peter J. Strianse, said his client was concerned for her safety and was attempting to scare Melton, The Tennessean reported. She reportedly moved from Nashville to Texas after the shooting.
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Katie Quackenbush is seen in a previous arrest photo from 2013. (Amarillo Police Department)
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Meanwhile, Melton testified at the time that the woman asked if he "wanted to die tonight," The Tennessean reported. He reportedly also said he was walking away from Quackenbush when she fired at him.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Katie’s father, Jesse Quackenbush, told FOX 17, the woman had told Melton, "I have a gun. Get the F away from me."
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"She pulled off one round as a means of warning, not intending to hit him or kill him," Jesse Quackenbush told the news station. "She thought she pointed far enough away from him to just scare him away, and he kept coming, and she shot another round."