Scratches on furniture led to man, 74, shooting his wife near Lexington golf club, police say

A 74-year-old man was arrested and charged late Sunday night after he allegedly shot his wife when he was blamed for furniture scratches, according to Lexington police.

After the 9:30 p.m. shooting, Steven Meade — allegedly intoxicated and armed — remained inside the home while police established a perimeter at the house on Bahama Road near Greenbrier Golf & Country Club, according to police Lt. Chris Van Brackel. Meade surrendered peacefully to police about 11 p.m., about an hour after they made contact with him.

The woman was found in the driveway with a gunshot wound to her leg, according to Meade’s arrest citation. She was taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital with injuries that weren’t life-threatening, Van Brackel said.

Meade told police his wife noticed scratches on her antique furniture, which she insisted her husband caused, according to court records. The man told police he did not cause the scratches.

“(He) stated he pulled a small revolver he keeps in his recliner and waved it in her direction intending to scare her by firing it and causing a loud noise,” the arrest citation states.

Meade said he was unsure if a bullet struck his wife because she exited the home after the gun was fired, police said.

Meade was charged with assault and was placed in the Fayette County Detention Center Monday, according to the jail website.

This story was originally published July 29, 2019 at 8:03 AM.