An Arapahoe man is facing life in prison after allegedly shooting his on-again, off-again girlfriend last year in the shoulder and hitting her in the head with a handgun after she accused him of cheating on her.
Trent Anthony Michael BigMedicine is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm and using, carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He faces a sentence of 10 years to life in prison and up to $500,000 in fines.
According to documents filed in U.S. District Court, an FBI special agent was contacted by Wind River Indian Reservation police on May 8, 2021, with a report of an assault. The agent learned that a woman, D.F., had been involved in a physical altercation with BigMedicine, who allegedly struck her in the head with a firearm and shot her in the shoulder.
The assault took place outside of BigMedicine’s home in Arapahoe.
After being shot, D.F. drove to a friend’s house for help.
In interviews with the victim, the agent learned that on the evening of May 7, D.F. had been drinking with friends and decided to visit BigMedicine, whom she had not seen in a while. When she was unable to find him at his grandmother’s house, she left.
Around 3:30 a.m. on May 8, D.F., who suspected BigMedicine of cheating on her, went to BigMedicine’s residence. She walked around the house and saw BigMedicine standing next to a black sedan with two women inside.
D.F. confronted BigMedicine about cheating and the two proceeded to argue, according to court documents. D.F. did not recognize either of the women in the car and attempted to pull the driver out of the vehicle, but BigMedicine stopped her from doing so.
BigMedicine got onto the driver’s lap in attempt to drive away, but D.F. tried to pull him out of the vehicle. A physical altercation then ensued between the two.
BigMedicine began kicking D.F. and she slapped him in the face. He pulled a handgun from the sedan’s passenger compartment and threated D.F. with it, saying something to the effect of “Get the [expletive] out of here or I’ll shoot you in the head,” according to an affidavit filed in the case.
He then struck D.F. in the head with the handgun and fired it in front of her face, the affidavit said. He then moved behind her and fired the gun behind her back and the bullet struck her, although she did not immediately realize it.
She later felt pain in her shoulder area and saw she was bleeding. She told the FBI agent she did not get a good look at the gun and added that one of BigMedicine’s aunts told her that another aunt disposed of the gun, the court documents said.
When BigMedicine was arrested on May 8, blood was discovered on his sweatshirt. A Smith & Wesson handgun was also collected as evidence.
BigMedicine told police that he was intoxicated the morning of May 8 and had been hanging out with three witnesses in the sedan. He recalled some of the argument with D.F., but claimed he “blanked out.”
When asked about shooting D.F., BigMedicine refused to answer questions and said he did not remember her being injured, documents said.
The blood on his sweatshirt was later determined to be D.F.’s.