THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 26, 1995 TAG: 9510260430
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Police have filed warrants for attempted-murder charges against two armed men who were shot in a confrontation with a bounty hunter, investigators said Wednesday.
The shootout happened just after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday near the bounty hunter's home on Pretty Lake Avenue. Two armed men wearing masks confronted 23-year-old James G. Barnhart, and shots were exchanged, police said.
Both men were hit by several bullets, but Barnhart wasn't hurt, police said.
The suspects are under police guard at a hospital. Police identified them as Marcus Smith, 25, and Anton Brown, 19. Police spokesman Larry Hill did not have addresses for the suspects. Court records show that Brown last lived in the 100 block of Webster Ave. in Portsmouth, and that Smith lives in the 900 block of Guenevere Court in Chesapeake.
Police did not release any details about the motive, but one of the suspects has a history of serious felonies.
Brown was arrested in 1993 in Portsmouth for armed robbery and using a gun in a crime, records show. He was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to time served.
Also in 1993, Brown was charged with stealing a car. The disposition of that case was not known Wednesday.
Police spokesman Larry Hill would not say if the suspects targeted Barnhart, because the case is under investigation.
Bounty hunters like Barnhart typically track suspects who do not return to court for hearings. Bond companies that front bail can lose money when that happens.
Barnhart's phone number is unlisted, and he could not be reached for comment.
Police said there are no plans to charge Barnhart.
KEYWORDS: BOUNTY HUNTERS SHOOTING INJURIES SUSPECTS by CNB