Inset: Jesse Ward (Laramie County Sheriff's Office). Background: The Laramie County Detention Center in Cheyenne, Wyo. (Google Maps).
A Wyoming man is behind bars after a bout of jealousy led him to threaten a woman with a bevy of weapons, one after another, law enforcement in the Cowboy State says.
Jesse Ward, 45, stands accused of one felony count of aggravated assault and battery and one misdemeanor count of domestic battery, according to the Laramie County Sheriff's Office.
The underlying incident occurred on Saturday, Oct. 10, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Cowboy State Daily.
That night, Ward accused a woman of being unfaithful to him and the situation spiraled from there, the sheriff's office said. As the woman tried to calm the man down, "Jesse instead grabbed his 'Glock 40' and pointed it at (her) head while she sat on her bed," according to the charging document.
Meanwhile, a video camera with a covered lens was recording audio, but no video, from inside the bedroom, law enforcement said. Some of that audio was transcribed into the affidavit.
"Jesse is heard to be saying things such as, 'I'm about ready to kill the evil that's killing me' and 'I'm about ready to f—in' end you,'" a deputy wrote in the charging document.
As the man allegedly continued to hold the woman at gunpoint, he said, "I'm about ready to make you eat a bullet" and "I'm about ready to go to prison." The defendant added, "I will turn around and get handcuffed after I put you out of your misery," according to the affidavit.
Eventually, Ward put the gun down — only to pick up a sword, authorities say.
"At this point in the video a sound can be heard which is consistent with the tip of a long blade being dragged across something," the charging document reads.
The woman would later tell investigators the defendant pointed the sword at her and twice moved forward as if to stab her. Ultimately, however, the woman was not stabbed, law enforcement says.
"He kept repeating, 'I want you to die,' then yelled 'GET BACK,' ordering her to get on the bed again," the affidavit continues.
Then, Ward put down the sword and picked up a crossbow, the sheriff's office said.
The woman acknowledged she did not know if she was in danger of being shot, authorities said, but claimed to have seen a bolt in the archery weapon as the man allegedly pointed it at her.
"She did remember seeing the tip of the bolt … and described a three-sided point, typical with a broadhead, which is commonly used for hunting as opposed to a field tip, which does not have similar geometry," the deputy wrote in the affidavit — suggesting "the crossbow was most likely in a cocked (ready to fire) position."
Sometime that night, the man put the crossbow down and the woman made her way to the gun, the sheriff's office said.
With the gun in hand, the woman was able to get outside, prompting Ward to chase the victim before she went back inside, locked the door and dialed 911, according to law enforcement.
The defendant was able to barge back inside the house and knock the phone out of the woman's hand, but by then deputies were on their way, the sheriff's office said.
Ward is currently detained in the Laramie County Jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond. He is slated to appear in court on Oct. 21.