Inset: Patrick McBride (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office). Background: The private community in Arizona where Patrick McBride allegedly shot and killed a door-to-door salesman (KSAZ/YouTube).
An 80-year-old Arizona man allegedly hunted down a door-to-door salesman who rode up on a Segway and asked for water. Police say the octogenarian shot the salesman in the back, leaving him with no feeling in his legs.
Patrick McBride faces charges of aggravated assault causing serious physical injury and disorderly conduct with a weapon following the Sunday shooting in his gated north Scottsdale community.
The salesman, who has not been publicly identified, had been making the rounds in McBride's neighborhood on an electric Segway scooter and was offering window-washing services when he stopped at McBride's home, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.
"The defendant stated the male on the Segway rang the doorbell to the gate, and when the defendant answered, he asked for water saying he had been working a job in the neighborhood," the affidavit explains, citing information provided by McBride during a police interview. "The defendant started confronting him on his story, becoming suspicious of what he was doing and why he was in the neighborhood."
McBride told investigators he warned the man about not being permitted inside his private community. As the salesman left on his Segway, McBride said the man pointed his cellphone toward the house, leading him to believe he was taking pictures or recording him.
"This did not sit well with the defendant," the affidavit says.
The salesman told police he remained nearby because he believed he had lost his wallet and wanted to look for it. About 10 minutes later, McBride and his wife "devised a plan to make sure this male had left the neighborhood," according to the affidavit.
"The defendant went and retrieved his handgun from a safe where it was kept as he typically will not go out without it," the document alleges. "He stated it was in a holster that was attached to the left hip of his pants, as he was left-handed. His wife drove their car and did not retrieve a firearm to carry with her."
McBride allegedly told cops the plan was for his wife to drive north and check the neighborhood in that direction, and then he was going to walk south in search of the salesman. If his wife came across the Segway, she was going to call McBride, the affidavit says.
The salesman was eventually spotted and McBride allegedly yelled at him to leave. McBride told police the victim started riding toward him and was "beginning to gain speed" on his Segway while raising his right hand with his cellphone in it, according to the affidavit.
"The defendant felt fearful the victim was going to do something, so he drew his handgun while stepping to the left," the affidavit says.
McBride told police that as the victim approached him, the two of them collided and his pistol "suddenly went off," according to the affidavit. "The defendant stated the victim went to the ground and at first, he did not realize the victim had been shot," the affidavit states.
The salesman gave police a starkly different account, saying he saw McBride pull out his handgun while the salesman was turning away from him. That's when McBride allegedly opened fire and shot the man in the back.
"The defendant admitted to picking up the casing and placing it in his pocket to 'preserve evidence' so it would not get run over," the affidavit notes. "The defendant admitted that he was fearful the victim was going to do something but stated he did not make the conscious decision to fire and did not intend to shoot the victim."
The salesman was rushed to a hospital, where he remained in stable condition with a spinal injury. "[The victim] cannot feel his legs," the affidavit says.
McBride remained at the scene and his wife used towels to apply pressure to the victim's wound before paramedics arrived. Officers showed up and spoke to McBride, who told them, "He shouldn't be in this neighborhood" and "He made a move at me, I told him to leave," according to the affidavit.
Investigators later found McBride's handgun with a cracked, partially broken trigger guard. He also had a shell casing in his pocket.
McBride, who attended the U.S. Air Force Academy — where he had handgun and rifle training — insisted he shot the salesman in self-defense when speaking to police. McBride was being held this week on a $150,000 bond.
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