Pierce County man charged with shooting at roommate faces $500K bail

The pepper spray was a warning, then came a gunshot.

Henry Bartels said he was scared of his roommate so he dashed upstairs to get his husband’s gun before firing a single shot.

The roommate said he was doing his laundry Friday night when Bartels, from whom he rents a room, suddenly assaulted him for no apparent reason.

Pierce County prosecutors on Monday charged Bartels, 56, with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault and fourth-degree assault. He was ordered jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail.

The roommate has lived in the home in the 9600 block of C Street East since last April, and told detectives Bartels has never liked him because he views him as rude.

Charging papers gave this account:

While the roommate was doing his laundry, Bartels began pepper spraying him while he stood on the porch. When the roommate yelled in protest, Bartels ran into the house, breaking the glass on the screen door, and retrieved a gun.

Bartels then yelled, “I’m going to kill you,” before firing a round.

The roommate ran into the front yard and called 911. He was still there when deputies arrived.

After being arrested, Bartels said he pepper sprayed the victim as a “warning.”

“The defendant stated he was scared of (his roommate) so he ran upstairs and armed himself with a gun, came downstairs with the gun and fired a round off into the air,” documents show.

“He stated he was just trying to scare” the roommate.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Pierce County man charged with shooting at roommate faces $500K bail."