A St. Augustine man arrested in connection with a shooting in Vilano Beach told a 911 dispatcher that his gun discharged accidentally after he was attacked, The Citizen has learned.
Samuel Obi, 56, was taken into custody on Oct. 11 following a domestic dispute with a 44-year-old woman at a home on South Beach Drive around 3 p.m.
“She was just punching me in the head,” Obi told the dispatcher during the call. “I started pushing her away. She hit my hand and it pushed the gun—and the gun shot.”
According to authorities, a resident on the normally quiet block called 911 to report that a woman had been shot. The caller then handed the phone to Obi, who said the gun went off while it was in his pocket.
Obi claimed he wasn’t sure if the woman had actually been shot, as he didn’t see any blood.
Despite that, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed in a Facebook post that the woman had been transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
At one point during the 911 call, the woman can be heard saying she was “so scared.” Obi told the dispatcher she had come over to retrieve personal belongings amid a breakup.
He also admitted he had armed himself before she arrived because he was concerned about who might be with her.
An arrest report reveals Obi is under an active domestic violence injunction that prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
As of Monday, he faces a misdemeanor charge for weapons possession. Authorities say the investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.
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