A Navarre man is claiming self-defense after he allegedly shot his son with a shotgun on Sunday inside a home on Quail Roost Drive after the son allegedly came at his father with a Samurai Sword.
The incident is being deemed “unusual” by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office since a sword-related incident transpired at a home on that same street last year. The two incidents were not related, however.
Last year, a SRSO deputy was stabbed by an intoxicated Navarre man at a home that’s in close proximity to the home that the stabbing/shooting occurred at on Sunday.
“I think they are the only sword-related incidents we’ve had in the county in a very long time,” said SRSO Public Information Officer Sgt. Rich Aloy. “It’s very unusual.”
According to SRSO incident report from Sunday, deputies were called out to the 9200 block of Quail Roost Drive in Navarre at around noon.
When they arrived on scene, they learned that William Chris McClanahan-Spenler threatened his father inside the home with a sword. In fear for his life, the man’s father shot his son with a shotgun. The blast from the gun wounded the suspect.
“It hit him in the shoulder,” Aloy said.
McClanahan-Spenler was later taken to an area hospital for the gunshot wound and was released at 4 p.m. the same day. After his release, he was put behind bars at Santa Rosa County Jail and charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon Without Intent to Kill. The father (victim), was not charged in the incident.
The 20-year-old suspect allegedly came at his father with a self-described “antique sword”.
The report stated that when deputies spoke with the victim, he told authorities that his son has an alleged substance abuse problem. The 63-year-old man also told law enforcement that his son was an on-again, off-again resident of the home.
The victim told authorities that he awoke that day to find his son inside of the home. The man said he went to speak to his son and an argument ensued.
The argument later tapered down, and the victim returned to his bedroom. Moments later, the report indicated that McClanahan-Spenler entered the doorway of the victim’s bedroom armed with an antique sword.
The victim said that his son threatened to kill him when he had the sword in his hand.
When he was armed with the sword, the victim grabbed a nearby 12-guage shotgun and fired it at his son, wounding him.
The suspect later fled from the residence and the suspect’s father called law enforcement.
The suspect was later transported to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola for his gun shot wound.
McClanahan-Spenler advised law enforcement when they arrived to interview him that he would like to have an attorney present during the interview and the interview was terminated.
He later told a deputy that his father entered his room with the shotgun, but did not say what happened after that.
The last sword-related incident that required assistance from the SRSO happened only a few homes away on Quail Roost drive last April.
According to that incident, a deputy responded to the home after someone called 9-1-1 alleging a man inside the home was trying to stab people with the sword.
The suspect, who later admitted to drinking half a bottle of rum, was allegedly trying to stab through a bedroom door that the people inside of the home barricaded themselves in to get away from the intoxicated individual.
When deputies arrived at the home, the suspect, Gordon Kimbrell, Jr. was standing on the porch with the sword.
When a deputy charged at the man, he was stabbed several times with the sword and had to be transported to an area hospital for his injuries. The suspect was shot at after the stabbing and also transported to a hospital for his injuries.
Both the deputy and the suspect recovered from their injuries.
Back in 2012, a man was also attacked with a Samurai Sword inside a Tiger Point home.
Aloy said the investigation has since been closed.
According to Santa Rosa County Jail View records, McClanahan-Spencer has no prior arrests in Santa Rosa County.
According to his arrest report, the suspect has been Baker Acted by authorities in the past for his behavior.
He remains behind bars as of press time without bond.
