Court Complaint: Woman Used Loaded Firearm to Diffuse Domestic Assault

An Oakdale man was arrested Nov. 21 on a felony charge of domestic abuse by strangulation and a gross misdemeanor charge of domestic abuse after allegedly choking his girlfriend until she nearly became unconscious. 

Andre Deshone Wilford, 32, allegedly twice grabbed his girlfriend by the throat after the couple began arguing about Wilford's drinking, according to a Washington County criminal complaint.

The complaint also said Wilford had been drinking for much of the day and, at one point, grabbed the woman and threatened to "bust her in her head."

The woman told Oakdale police that she decided to remove her personal firearm from the apartment because she was afraid Wilford would use it against her, the complaint stated.

When she attempted to lock the firearm in a moving truck she had rented, Wilford followed her outside where he began his alleged assault, the complaint says.

The complaint also said once the woman freed herself from Wilford, she told him she would use her gun if she was forced to protect herself. She then loaded the weapon and pointed it at the ground, the complaint says. 

Wilford allegedly backed off and went to a neighbor's apartment, according to the complaint.

When police arrived on the scene, Wilford was found walking around with an open bottle of vodka and appeared to be intoxicated, the complaint says.

He was then taken into custody and he denied all charges, the complaint says.

Once in custody, Oakdale police checked Wilford's criminal record where they found an Ohio domestic abuse conviction dated Feb. 28, 2011, according to the complaint.

Given his criminal history, Wilford is faces up to four years in prison and a fine of $8,000 if convicted of the most recent charges.