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Complete Forecast for  May 09 2008

By CASEY KNAUPP
Staff Writer

Tysha Ingram has been sentenced to four years in prison for swinging an ax at a pharmacy owner who was detaining her nephew for trying to cash a forged check.
The 30-year-old Tyler woman was found guilty of aggravated assault Feb. 29 by 7th District Judge Kerry Russell after two days of testimony. The judge sentenced the woman on Tuesday.

Witnesses testified that while Woody Weaver Sr. and two other men were trying to restrain De’Zheron Davenport until police arrived for trying to pass a stolen check at Woody Weaver Pharmacy, Ms. Ingram drove up and demanded they let Davenport go. Witnesses also testified that Ms. Ingram punched Weaver before grabbing an ax and swinging it at him and busting out his pickup’s window.

But Ms. Ingram testified to a different account of what happened during the May 8 incident, claiming that she hit Weaver and picked up the ax in self defense because he hit her.

Russell found that the facts of the case did not establish self-defense and convicted her of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Davenport, who pleaded guilty and is on probation for forgery and aggravated assault, for threatening Weaver with a sledgehammer, testified that Ms. Ingram did swing the ax in the direction of Weaver but he was not close enough to be hit by it. He said Weaver and the other men never hit him but grabbed him and held him down.