Barnes may face intimidation of police officer charge after Friday incident

A Linton man may face charges of intimidation of a Linton police officer after an incident on Friday afternoon landed him in jail.

Rennis D. Barnes, 48, rural Linton, was arrested by Linton Police Cpl. Paul Clark for allegedly intimidating LPD Officer Debbie McDonald.

The arrest was made not far from McDonald's rural Linton residence.

According to the LPD report, LPD Cpl. Clark received a phone report that indicated Barnes was "standing in front of Officer D. McDonald's house, using his finger shaped as a gun and simulating firing into or at her house."

The report also states that officers located Barnes just north of McDonald's residence and that when they attempted to restrain him "he tried to flee and then forcibly resist."

Barnes was then arrested and transported to the Greene County Jail.

The probable cause affidavit filed in Greene County Circuit Court on Friday sheds additional details on the incident.

According to the affidavit, LPD Officer Debbie McDonald and Barnes had a brief exchange on Thursday -- the day before his arrest.

McDonald --who was off-duty at her residence -- responded to a report of a possible intoxicated male just north of her residence.

When she arrived in her patrol car, she recognized the subject to be Barnes, also known to her as "Reno".

According to the court document, McDonald then determined that Barnes was not intoxicated after speaking with him about the complaint.

But, as she was leaving the scene, Barnes said said he had felony warrants for her (McDonald) and made an obscene threatening remark.

According to the court document, "Officer McDonald believed that Mr. Barnes was in front of her house as a response to the previous incident."

The document also states that while Barnes was being transported to the county jail he said he was a federal law officer working a crime scene and that he had a federal warrant for McDonald.

Barnes faces charges of intimidation of a police officer, a D felony, and resisting law enforcement, an A misdemeanor.

Barnes appeared at his initial hearing on Monday at the Greene County Circuit Court.

The state was represented by Prosecutor Jarrod Holtsclaw and defense attorney James Reister was appointed to represent Barnes as a public defender.

Reister filed a motion requesting the court to order a competency evaluation for Barnes and asked that the evaluation be done before an initial hearing.

Greene Circuit Court Judge Erik Allen said he would order the evaluation to determine whether Barnes was competent to stand trial and the initial hearing was continued.

Reister also filed a motion for a reduced bond for Barnes.

Seven members of Barnes' family were present in the courtroom, including his mother who is his guardian, his brother and his daughter.

Reister told the judge the Barnes family lives in houses that are in close proximity to each other and they are willing and able to take responsibility to see that Barnes stayed at home or was not out on the street while he is out of jail on bond. Reister requested Barnes be released from jail into the custody of his mother.

Holtsclaw told the judge he had no reason to ask for an elevated bond.

Judge Allen said one condition of bond would be that Barnes have no contact with the alleged victim, Officer McDonald, or any of the members of her household.

Allen said he wanted to consider all of the information that had been given to him and that he would make a decision and issue an order regarding bond sometime later Monday.

Additional details on the bond were unavailable at press time.

Staff Writer Anna Rochelle contributed to this report.