Gallipolis , Gallia County , Ohio

A police officer who was shot while responding to a dispute among neighbors will finally get to return home after multiple surgeries.

Gallipolis Police Officer James Bartels was shot in September and spent weeks recovering at Cabell Huntington Hospital. Bartels underwent several surgeries to his shoulder to remove shrapnel. He was dismissed from the hospital on Wednesday, the Gallipolis Police Department said.

The man accused of shooting Bartels was arraigned in Gallia County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday. Cole Miller was arraigned on charges of attempted aggravated murder, felonious assault, obstructing official business and resisting arrest. He would have to post $100,000 of a $1 million bond to be released from jail. Miller's court date was set for Dec. 17.

---

A police officer who was shot in the shoulder last week while responding to a call about a neighbor dispute was scheduled Thursday for another surgery.

Gallipolis Police Officer James Bartles was expected to undergo another surgery for his injuries at Cabell Huntington Hospital.

The man who allegedly shot the officer, Cole Miller, was in Gallipolis Municipal Court earlier this week for a preliminary hearing to determine if there was probable cause that he committed the crime.

---

Gallipolis police officer Jamie Bartels said he feared for his life after he was shot during a domestic dispute in Gallia County.

"I thought I was going to die,” Bartels said. “I literally thought I was dying."

The officer sat down with Eyewitness News to talk about what could have been his last call.

"I lost all the feeling in my hand, blood started spraying in my face," he said.

Bartels and his partner, Shallon Shuldt, were called to the scene of a domestic dispute because county sheriff's deputies were on a meth bust. The shooting occurred about midnight Monday at an apartment complex off McCormick Road in Gallipolis Township. The suspect, Cole Creighton Miller, 28, of Gallia County was arrested on felonious assault charges.

The officer said when he arrived on the scene, a woman told him the man inside the home was waiting with a shotgun. It didn't take long for the suspect to open fire. Bartels told his partner to take cover. He said he told her, "I'm going to grab the shotgun out of the cruiser; I just have a bad feeling about this."

Bartels said he didn't hear another shot, but knew he'd been hit. "I went down to one knee. I was crawling back under the cover I was at so I wasn't taking another shot," he said.

With local ambulances tied up on other calls, another responding officer rushed him to the nearest hospital. "I truly think that if he didn't do that I'd be dead," Bartels said.

Bartels had surgery to transfer part of a leg artery into his injured shoulder, but he doesn't have much feeling in that arm. Family and fellow officers have stayed by his side this week at Cabell Huntington Hospital, along with West Virginia state troopers and officers in Huntington. They all know he is lucky to be alive, and he does, too. While it will be a long recovery, he isn't quite sure what else the future holds.

You can watch the full interview with Bartels on the Raw News link on this website.

Fellow officers have set up a fund to help out Bartels at the Wesbanco in Gallipolis at 500 Third Ave., but you can contribute at any Wesbanco location. To make a donation, ask about the Patrolman James Bartels Fund.

How To Contact WCHS-TV8 | Privacy Policy | FCC Public File | Terms and Conditions | DMCA Policy | Frequently Asked Questions

Home | Eyewitness News Newsroom | Storm Team Weather | Eyewitness Sports | Schedules

---

Send email to news@wchstv.com for information or comments concerning WCHS-TV Eyewitness News.

Copyright ©2013, WCHS-TV8. Portions are
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.