3 Of 4 Charges Dismissed Against Bondsman Charles Key

General Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes on Wednesday dismissed three of four charges against bondsman Charles Key after a lengthy hearing.

He bound a charge of reckless endangerment to the Grand Jury, but dismissed three counts of aggravated assault.

The judge said bondsmen have legal authority to go after those who skip out on court dates, including going into someone's home. He said Key fired a shot into a tire on a vehicle and not at anyone.

Key said he was fearful that Jeremy Boston was driving toward him in the Feb. 3 incident in front of H&H Grocery on Through Street.

Judge Starnes left in place three aggravated assault charges against Key Bonding employee Tony Boston. The judge said the bondsmen already had the woman in custody they were going after when Boston pulled a pistol and pointed it at three individuals at a home on Michael Lane near Dalewood Middle School.

Jeremy Boston, who said he is no relation to Tony Boston but knows him, said he was with his wife, Sonya Williams in front of the grocery. He said Tiffany Crews was also in the car because she had called when her car would not start at Erlanger Hospital.

He said a red truck pulled behind his vehicle and Key got out with a gun. Jeremy Boston said he thought they were being robbed. He said he drove off quickly, going through a narrow opening between a telephone pole and another vehicle.

He denied that he backed into the truck before pulling out.

Jeremy Boston said he was able to drive to his mother's house, though his tire had been shredded by the shot. He said the red truck followed them all the way, continually bumping them from behind.

He said he got out and ran inside. He and his mother, Florine Boston, then came back outside. He said Tony Boston then pointed a gun at him.

Florine Boston said her son told her, "Key and Tony got Sonya."

Ms. Boston said she pleaded with Tony Boston to put the gun down, saying, "That's why we have black on black crime."

Tiffany Crews also denied that Jeremy Boston had backed into the truck and said she, too, thought it was a robbery. She said Tony Robinson pointed a gun at her.

Charles Key said he had been watching Ms. Williams for several days after she skipped court. He said he knew she was at a party on one occasion, but wanted to wait until not so many people were around.

He said he earlier had to take Sonya Williams into custody at the home of Florine Boston. He said there was a scuffle during that occasion.

Key said Tony Boston first spotted the Jeremy Boston car that day on Highway 58. He said he drove that way and got in behind the vehicle and the red truck on Greenwood Road shortly before it stopped at the grocery.

He said Jeremy Boston did back his vehicle into the truck, and he said Tony Boston went over to the vehicle and let them know they were bondsmen and not robbers.

 Key said he fired only one shot. He said he turned the gun over to Detective Trent Kilpatrick, showing him that one bullet was missing in the gun.

Key said after he turned Ms. Williams over to bondsman Dexter Higgins, he called police to report the incident.

William Bell, who has been at the H&H Grocery since 1969, said he heard one shot.

The defendants were represented by attorneys Bill Speek and Jonathan Turner, who are in the same law firm. Prosecutor Rodney Strong raised the issue of a possible conflict of interest, but Judge Starnes found that was not a problem after meeting privately with the defense attorneys.