Man pleads guilty to assaulting Tacoma-area roommate

A man accused of firing his gun near his Tacoma-area roommate and pepper spraying the man pleaded guilty to two assault charges Monday.

Henry Bartels, 56, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and fourth-degree assault.

Initially he faced charges of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault and fourth-degree assault.

According to charging papers:

The shooting happened March 25 in the 9600 block of C Street East, where Bartels lived part-time with his husband, as well as a renter. Bartels also has a home in Seattle.

As the renter walked out back to do laundry, Bartels pepper sprayed him, then got his husband’s gun from inside the house and fired a shot.

Bartels told investigators he was scared of the renter. The pepper spray was a warning, he said, and the gunshot meant to scare the roommate.

The roommate told investigators he’d lived at the house for almost a year and that Bartels never liked him.

After the shooting, Bartels made his $350,000 bail and was released. He was not allowed to contact his husband, who was a witness to the incident, or the renter.

Because of Bartels’ plea, the husband no longer is a witness in the case and the two can see each other again, though not at the home where the incident happened.

Sentencing is set for later this year.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 5:33 PM with the headline "Man pleads guilty to assaulting Tacoma-area roommate."