An asthmatic mechanic who had been thrown out by his girlfriend returned to her apartment for an inhaler and shot a man who was there protecting the woman, Longmont police said.
Police allege that Michael Pennington, 35, shot Ned Hickman, 39, in the chest with a shotgun around 9:30 p.m. Saturday at 1200 Kimbark St.
Hickman is expected to recover. Police arrested Pennington about 4:30 a.m. Sunday.
Pennington and his girlfriend, whose name has not been released, had moved into the apartment on Jan. 9 after leaving Iowa, said Tim Lewis, Longmont police commander of detectives.
Last Thursday, Pennington allegedly assaulted the woman. “The assault had been violent,” Lewis said.
“She had friends living there with her so she wouldn’t be alone, because her boyfriend had been getting pretty agitated,” Lewis said.
After the assault, Pennington was staying with various friends and nursing a grievance, Lewis said.
He called the apartment and said he needed the inhaler, which was in the woman’s vehicle. Hickman and a second man went out to get it for him.
As Hickman came out to the street, Pennington fired a shotgun into his chest, Lewis said.
“They had a safety plan in play and they had done excellent with that. . . . But the girlfriend didn’t know he had access to a shotgun. He had stolen it,” Lewis said.
Hickman was taken to Longmont United Hospital, then flown to Denver Health Medical Center, where doctors operated on him.
Pennington did not know Hickman.
Officers arrested Pennington at Longmont United Hospital early Sunday after tracking him to a home on Fifth Avenue. At the home they found that Pennington had been taken to the hospital for pain medication.
“He is an auto mechanic. About a year ago he reported a car fell on his hips so he went looking for some pain medication,” Lewis said.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
