Two hurt in ballbat attack

POPLAR BLUFF -- Two Poplar Bluff, Mo., men were treated for head injuries Saturday after one allegedly attacked the other for viewing sexually explicit images of an acquaintance and then sending the woman an apparent suggestive comment via Facebook.

At about 10:45 a.m. Saturday, deputies with the Butler County Sheriff's Department responded to a residence in the 400 block of Highway AA.

According to Deputy Bo Skinner's report, he contacted Robert Wayne Rogers, who was "bleeding from the forehead above his right eye."

Skinner said the 44-year-old resident of the 400 block of Bartlett reported there had been what he had described as an "ongoing problem" between a man, later identified as David Lee Norris, and a woman due to Rogers allegedly having viewed nude photos of her.

A woman at the home, female involved " kept mentioning the matter" to Norris.

Rogers allegedly had seen the photos and a video on the woman's cellphone at a Sept. 20 bonfire, which was attended by the woman and several people, according to Investigator Wes Popp's report.

Before leaving the bonfire, Popp said, Rogers had lost his cellphone and asked the woman for a flashlight to look for it around the bonfire.

"(She), instead, gave Rogers her cellphone that had a flashlight on it," Popp said. " ... While Rogers was outside, he remembered a conversation ... about her having nude photographs and videos of herself on the cellphone.

" ... Rogers looked at the pictures and videos" before returning her phone.

The next day, Popp said, Rogers allegedly sent the woman a message via Facebook telling her he had seen the video.

Popp, who viewed the exchanged Facebook messages, said the woman then contacted Rogers' girlfriend, which "caused problems" between the couple.

Rogers, he said, subsequently messaged the woman through Facebook to apologize.

On Sept. 23, Popp said, the woman told Norris about Rogers' alleged actions.

"Norris became upset and began Facebook messaging Rogers and threatening him," Popp said. "Rogers returned the threats, but messaged Norris that it wasn't worth fighting over ... and that he (Rogers) had apologized."

Popp said the alleged threats continued Saturday when Norris sent a message to the Facebook account of Rogers' girlfriend saying he was "coming to (her) residence to fight.

"Norris messaged that he (Norris) would be at the residence in one hour."

Popp said Rogers' girlfriend told Rogers that Norris allegedly was coming.

"A few minutes later, Rogers and (his girlfriend) heard the dog barking outside, then heard a knock at the front door," Popp said.

The couple, he said exited out a side door.

Fearful of "what might happen, (the girlfriend) grabs her handgun and takes it out with her as she follows Rogers outside," Popp said. "As Rogers rounds the corner of the residence to the front yard, Norris hits (him) with a baseball bat.

"A fight began for possession of the bat, and Rogers was able to take the bat away from Norris."

Rogers, Popp said, allegedly hit Norris several times before they again "fought for possession of the bat.

"Norris was able to take the bat away from Rogers and hit Rogers in the head, causing him (Rogers) to fall to the ground."

As Norris allegedly stood over Rogers with the bat, Popp said, Rogers' girlfriend "produced her handgun and told Norris to leave or she would shoot him."

Popp said Norris walked back to his car with the bat and fled the scene. Norris allegedly threw the bat out the window farther down the highway; it was found by deputies.

Rogers' girlfriend provided a vehicle description when she called 911, and a Dodge Avenger matching the description was stopped by Deputy Lacy Gipson in the 800 block of Pine Street.

Gipson contacted the female driver, and her passenger, Norris, who was bleeding from his head.

Norris, Gipson said in his report, indicated he had been hit in the head with a baseball bat.

When Gipson asked Norris what had happened," ... he stated that he was 'called out,' and he was not going to let that go. Norris then stated that he had received text messages from Robert Rogers telling him to come out to his residence and fight."

Norris alleged there were items stolen from his girlfriend's home, which is "what the incident started over," Gipson said.

Norris, he said, alleged he had been hit in the head twice and once in the jaw.

"Norris then stated that he had a gun pulled on him as well," said Gipson, who described Norris as subsequently starting to lose consciousness.

Emergency medical personnel, he said, subsequently arrived and Norris was going to be flown to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., for treatment.

Norris, 31, of the 100 block of Antler was suffering from a suspected broken jaw, Popp said.

Rogers, he said, was taken by ambulance to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

"He got about 10 stitches below his hairline, over high right eye," Popp said.

At this point in the investigation, Popp said, Norris has been identified as the primary aggressor and charges will be requested for first-degree assault and armed criminal action.

The prosecuting attorney, he said, also will be asked to review the case for possible charges against Rogers.