One Greenville man is behind bars after an instance of domestic violence escalated to attempted murder this weekend.

Johnny O’Neal Allen, 46, was charged with attempted murder and first-degree domestic violence when an argument between him and his wife, the victim, nearly became deadly.

Butler County sheriff Kenny Harden said that deputies received a call Saturday in reference to domestic violence on Wagon Wheel Road.

“When the deputies got there, the victim stated that her husband, whom she had separated from, had tried to run her off the road with his vehicle,” Harden said.

She told officers that he had since left the vicinity and had gone to Fort Deposit. Deputies then placed a BOLO (be on the lookout) alert on the vehicle that he was last seen in with the authorities in Lowndes County, though no contact was made.

The victim also described to deputies that Allen had threatened to return to her home and shoot her.

Later that evening, at approximately 8 p.m., he did.

“And when he came into the house, his wife saw that he had a shotgun,” Harden said.

“She turned to run, and he fired one shot and hit her in the back of the leg.”

She was transported to L.V. Stabler Hospital’s emergency room, where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Upon notifying Fort Deposit authorities once more of the situation, deputies made contact with Allen’s mother, also located in Fort Deposit.

“His mother had his dad to bring him here and turn himself in at the Butler County Correctional Facility,” Harden said.

Allen remains in the Butler County Correctional Facility on a $330,000 bond.