Joplin Police Blotter: Man with gun arrested
February 03, 2015

The Joplin Police Department officers in the evening of January 31, 2015, responded to an address on Markwardt Ave. for a report of an armed robbery which had occurred earlier on the parking lot of 2602 S. Main St.

The victim, Drew Hunter, reported that as he was exiting Alp's Discount Liquor & Smoke that he was contacted by the suspect, Jason Watts, age 34 of Joplin, pictured, for some money to purchase liquor. He then pointed a handgun at Hunter to further make the demand. He took a bottle of liquor that Hunter had and then fired a shot in the air as Hunter was leaving.

Officers then were dispatched to an address on Porter Avenue two hours later. because of a report of domestic violence. The victim, Melissa Brumsfield, said that her boyfriend had assaulted her with a firearm at her residence located at 3105 S. Pearl Ave.

Brunsfield said that her boyfriend became angry with her and demanded she take him to the liquor store to purchase more alcohol. When she refused he pointed a handgun at her and then fired a shot into the wall nearby. She still refused and he fired a second shot into the wall. At this time they drove to Alps.

While there, she witnessed him rob the victim. She drove him to an address on West 4th St. in Joplin and dropped him off before contacting the police. Brumsfield told officers that the suspect was still at the West 4th Street address. They responded there and took him into custody without incident.

Watts, was arrested and charged with the following offenses: Kidnapping, Domestic Assault, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Armed Criminal Action and Robbery 1st Degree. He also had two Joplin City warrants and a Jasper County Fail to Appear warrant. Bond on the five offenses has been set at $100,000. He is currently being held in the Joplin City Jail.

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