Piedmont man accused of beating pregnant wife, shooting two

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- A Piedmont man was in jail awaiting formal charges for allegedly shooting two men who stepped in to intervene after he allegedly beat his pregnant wife and fled their rural home with her on Thursday morning.

"We believe it started with a domestic between a husband and wife" at their rural home southwest of Piedmont in the Lick Branch community, said Piedmont police chief Richard Sanders, who doesn't know what started the dispute.

Jonathan Cody Elliott, 31, is accused of beating his pregnant wife and giving her "some severe bruising on her face area," Sanders said.

Elliott, Sanders said, allegedly left their home and drove toward Piedmont with the victim's family members following them.

When they arrived in Piedmont, the vehicle was stopped, Sanders said.

"That's when [Elliott] got into it with the family and a gun was brought out" as the situation escalated, he said.

Elliott, Sanders said, allegedly used a shotgun to shoot one of the men.

"[The man] received pellets to the left shoulder, the front shoulder area, and the left side of his face got a couple of pellets in it," Sanders said.

Then, Elliott allegedly pulled a handgun, shooting the second man in the rear hip area before he fled the scene, Sanders said.

The man with the hip injury and Elliott's wife, Sanders said, were flown to Cape Girardeau for treatment, while the other man was taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.

Authorities say none of the injuries was reported to be life threatening.

Elliott then went to the Patterson, Mo., area, where he left his vehicle and stole at dark green Ford Tempo, Sanders said.

The car was spotted by Fredericktown, Mo., police detective Hank Williams northbound on Highway 67, according to Fredericktown Police Capt. Eric Hovis.

Hovis and another Fredericktown officer joined the pursuit

"Just past S Bar F Boy Scout Ranch on 67, we initiated lights and sirens to affect a vehicle stop," Hovis said. "[Elliott] didn't stop, he kept going. He didn't accelerate [but] he knew we were behind him. He was waving a gun out the vehicle."

Elliott, Hovis said, wasn't pointing the gun at officers, but was "holding it straight up in the air, as to tell us he has got a weapon.

" ... We knew we had the right guy [since] he was driving up the road with a pistol hanging out the window," Hovis said.

Elliott stopped in a tractor-trailer business parking lot on Route DD near Knob Lick, Mo., in St. Francois County where he was arrested without incident, Hovis said.

Elliott was booked at the Wayne County Jail on suspicion of two counts of first-degree domestic assault, second-degree domestic assault, two counts of first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and stealing a motor vehicle.

Pertinent address:

Piedmont, Mo.

Patterson, Mo.

Fredericktown, Mo.

Knob Lick, Mo.