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By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

The case against Paul David Chapman of Verbena on charges of discharging a gun into an occupied building was dismissed by Circuit Judge Sibley Reynolds on Dec. 12.

According to court documents, the case had been reset twice while the defendant was in federal custody on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On Nov. 8, Chapman was sentenced in federal court to 50 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Both charges stemmed from a 2019 shots fired incident. Shots were fired by Chapman and Dallas Clint Gray during an argument after Chapman’s dog had been hit by a car. Chapman had a pistol during the incident and shots were exchanged with Dallas Clint Gray, who had a rifle.

A stray bullet from the exchange hit Chapman’s wife, and she died from the injuries. Differing statements and inconclusive evidence led the 19th Judicial Circuit District Attorney and the state of Alabama to end prosecution of Gray in February. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences said the evidence was inconclusive as to which firearm the bullet came from.

Chapman had also been taken to the hospital after being hit by a bullet.

According to court documents, Chapman filed a lawsuit against Gray in circuit civil court on July 30, 2021 for negligence, wantonness, assault, battery, gross negligence, loss of consortium and intentional infliction of emotional distress. A trial in the civil case has been set for July 31, 2023.