25 year old Garth Cantrell, charged with shooting 21 year old Joseph Givens in the face with a 22 caliber rifle Thursday night, is now seeking assault charges against Givens and another man, claiming they beat him up prior to the shooting.
Charges are currently pending against the two men.
Smithville Police were summoned to 303 White Street at 11:35 p.m. Thursday and found that Givens had been shot in the face by a 22 caliber rifle. Cantrell was identified as the man who did the shooting, but he had apparently left the scene in a pick-up truck with another person.
During radio communications with Smithville Police Officer Steve Deffendoll, Sheriff Patrick Ray says he spotted a gray Toyota pick-up truck traveling on Mountain Street with it’s headlights off and he stopped the vehicle near the intersection of East Main Street and Bright Hill Road. Inside the truck was a 22 caliber rifle.
Sheriff Ray says Cantrell, a passenger of the truck, had a bloody nose and mouth and he was taken to DeKalb Community Hospital for treatment. Cantrell was then transported to the DeKalb County Jail where he was booked for attempted first degree murder by Smithville Police.
Investigators have not confirmed it, but sources say Cantrell had been out with a friend that night and that after they stopped at the White Street location, Givens and the other man approached the vehicle, where Cantrell was sleeping, and started beating him. Cantrell awoke to the attack and after the incident, he left, got a 22 caliber rifle, returned to the scene, confronted Givens, and then shot him.
The arrest warrant against Cantrell states that “Garth Wayne Cantrell did shoot Joseph Givens in the face area with a .22 caliber rifle at 303 White Street. Mr. Cantrell got into a fight with Givens and another subject and left and returned with the rifle and shot Mr. Givens, causing serious bodily injury. Mr Cantrell admits to doing this shooting.”
Givens was taken to Vanderbilt Hospital and has since been released. He reportedly suffered a serious eye injury.
Cantrell remains in jail under a $125,000 bond. Since his arrest, Cantrell has also been charged with violation of probation. He appeared in General Sessions Court on August 31st and was granted probation after being sentenced on charges of possession of a schedule VI controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He received two sentences of 11 months and 29 days to run concurrently.
He is scheduled to appear in court on the attempted murder charge October 5th.
Vester Parsley, Jr., attorney for Cantrell, declined to make any statement in Cantrell’s defense at this time.

A vacant house at 234 Keltonburg Road was destroyed by fire Sunday morning.
County Fire Chief Donny Green says the house, which had been vacant for about two years, belonged to Robert Patton.
A Warren County deputy, who lives in DeKalb County and was going to work, spotted the fire and reported it.
Green says the house was destroyed but firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading to a barn behind the home.
Members of the Keltonburg, Belk, Blue Springs, Short Mountain Highway, and a tanker truck responded along with DeKalb EMS
The cause of the fire is undetermined.

District Attorney General Bill Gibson is vowing not to resign in the face of criticism and an investigation into whether he was criminally or ethically wrong in corresponding with a man convicted of murder, that his office prosecuted.
In letters, sent by Gibson to 34 year old Christopher Barrett Adams of Cookeville, The D.A. reportedly gave the man legal advice, encouragement, and religious counsel, both while the murder case was pending in court, and after the man was sentenced, without the knowledge of Adams’ attorney.
Adams is currently in the penitentiary serving a 35 year sentence for robbing and killing an elderly Buffalo Valley woman. He was initially charged with first degree murder, but under a negotiated settlement, Adams pleaded guilty to second degree murder. Adams has also sought post-conviction relief in order to get either a shorter sentence or a new trial.
Reports say attorney’s ethical rules prevent lawyers from secretly talking to other attorney’s clients.
Gibson could lose his law license and possibly be charged with a crime. He is currently under investigation by the TBI and is facing action by the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility.
Gibson contends while he may not have exercised good judgement he was morally right and doesn’t plan to resign.
Gibson says he started writing to Adams in response to correspondence he received from Adams and claims his motive was to make sure that Adams fully understood all his legal options.
Gibson claims he has done nothing wrong and believes he was morally obligated to help Adams, who Gibson claims has become a Christian. Adams apparently has shared his religious experiences with Gibson through some of the letters.

The Smithville Police Department is investigating an apparent arson at South Fork Apartments at 524 Miller Road Friday afternoon.
Smithville Fire Chief Charlie Parker says city firefighters were summoned to the apartment complex around 2:15 p.m. Friday. Upon arrival, they found that someone had apparently set fire to a small pile of debris in a crawl space underneath an apartment.
Parker says the fire was quickly extinguished but the blaze burned a small hole in the floor of one of the apartments, damaged floor joist, and melted some wiring.
The residents of the damaged apartment were not present when the fire started and no one was injured.
The case remains under investigation.

Ronald Garrison defeated three other challengers including incumbent Paul Cantrell to win the Smithville Exchange seat on the DTC Communications Board of Directors in Saturday’s election.
Garrison received a total of 444 votes, edging out Cantrell who had 409 votes. Vester Parsley, Jr. garnered 279 votes and Freddy N. Colvert picked up 117 votes.
A total of 1,268 members voted in the DTC Directors Election including 917 early voters and 351 on election day (Saturday).
Incumbent Liberty Exchange Director Randy Campbell received a total of 807 complimentary votes and Incumbent Alexandria Exchange Director Bennie Curtis had 791 complimentary votes. Both Campbell and Curtis were unopposed.
All three directors elected Saturday will serve for three years.
Here’s how the votes break down for each candidate at the four early voting locations and on election day:
Ronald Garrison: Smithville- 179, Alexandria- 88, Woodbury- 30, Gordonsville- 7, Election Day- 140
Paul Cantrell: Smithville- 200, Alexandria- 19, Woodbury- 56, Gordonsville- 18, Election Day- 116
Vester Parsley, Jr.: Smithville- 190, Alexandria- 19, Woodbury- 14, Gordonsville-5, Election Day- 51
Freddy N. Colvert: Smithville, 68, Alexandria- 5, Woodbury- 7, Gordonsville- 4, Election Day- 33.
The DTC Communications Board of Directors, in addition to Garrison, Campbell, and Curtis, include Terry McPeak of Norene, Charles Dwight Vinson of Milton, Robert Don Malone of Temperance Hall, Greg Rogers of Woodbury, Roy Nelson Pugh of Auburntown, David Parker of Woodland, and James Dillard, Jr. of Gordonsville.