A Gun to a Knife Fight

In an interview with West Plains Police in the early morning hours of April 6, Damian Henry, 22, of West Plains, told investigators he shot James Vineyard because the deceased pulled a knife during a fight, says the probable cause statement accusing Henry of first-degree murder. 

A few minutes before 11:00 p.m. on April 5, officers from the West Plains Police Department responded to the Snappy Mart in the 3600 block of North U.S. Highway 63 for a report of a shooting. Officers located Vineyard, 34, of West Plains, on the ground at the entrance of the business. Vineyard was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:42 p.m.

Initial investigation led officers to search for a man driving a red Chevrolet Avalanche who was captured on surveillance video shooting Vineyard "numerous times," according to court documents. The shooter was identified by Howell County Sherriff's Deputies as Damian Henry. Law enforcement found Henry at his residence where he was arrested and transported to the West Plains Police Department. 

A police interview with Henry began at 12:14 a.m. April 6. During the interview, Henry said, "he shot Vineyard because Vineyard was fighting with [another subject at the scene] and Vineyard pulled out a knife." Henry told police he believed he shot Vineyard four times. 

As of press time, no charges have been filed against the third party. 

Henry has been indicted for first degree murder and armed criminal action and has been held in Howell County Jail with no bond since the shooting. The accused pled not guilty before the Honorable Steven Privette on April 8. This matter is set for a bond hearing on April 22.