Details released in Saturday shooting as suspect appears in court

JACKSON, Tenn. — Patrick Merriweather appeared in Jackson City Court Tuesday morning.

He’s accused of shooting Saving The Animals Together president Wendy Pickett, and stealing her belongings.

Court documents reveal there were two calls to police Saturday. The first call was made by Wendy Pickett. She was checking on her mother’s vacant property when she found Merriweather sleeping in a bedroom upstairs.

“She pulled out her gun for her safety and ordered Merriweather to wait with her while she called the police,” Judge Blake Anderson read aloud from the court documents.

The officers said they issued a misdemeanor citation for trespassing and released him.

Then an hour later, they were dispatched to the same location. This time for shots fired.

“On arrival, officers found Pickett sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, suffering from several gunshot wounds. Pickett had an empty gun holster between her legs,” Anderson read.

Pickett had two gunshot wounds to the the head, another to the shoulder, and another to her leg.

Court documents say she was on the phone with someone at the time she was shot.

Judge Anderson added, “She told her Merriweather was still on the sidewalk, and she wanted him to leave. She said Pickett’s dog started barking, someone asked her for a cigarette. She said she heard Pickett tell the subject, ‘No,’ and then heard two or three gunshots later.”

There’s several questions the court documents just didn’t answer, like what gun Pickett was shot with, and what ended up happening to it, because Merriweather wasn’t found with the gun, according to these court documents.

“Merriweather has multiple felony convictions, including two violent convictions in 2017 for robbery and aggravated burglary,” Anderson said.

Police said he ended up being found on Airways Boulevard with several of Pickett’s debit and credit cards, a handgun carry permit, and Pickett’s knife.

Merriweather is charged with attempted first degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, and retaliation for past action. His bond is set at $750,000.

Wendy Pickett is also an employee of the Jackson Police Department, and has appeared on WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News for several years with her organization.

A medical fundraiser has been started for Pickett. If you are interested in donating, click here.

Saving The Animals Together is also accepting Visa or restaurant gift cards for Pickett and her family. They will be collecting those Saturday, August 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Petco. STAT says you can also drop off gift cards at LD2 Market Shoppes’ E. Main location in Jackson from now until Saturday.