HURST, TEXAS - A dentist who was shot last year after he broke into the house of his wife's parents has been sentenced to two years' probation.

Charles C. Wyatt, 44, pleaded guilty last week to criminal trespass and assault bodily injury. The terms of the probation could not be obtained Tuesday.

Wyatt was shot in the chest by his wife because she feared for her life, Hurst police said. The couple, who lived in Colleyville, got divorced this summer.

On Oct. 11, 2000, Wyatt broke into the locked house in Hurst after he and his wife had had a dispute, police said. After he was inside, he forced his way into a locked bedroom where his wife, their two children and his in-laws were huddled, police said.

"They had retreated to the bedroom to get away from him," Hurst police Detective James Wilkerson said. "She shot him in self-defense."

No charges were filed against the 39-year-old woman, Wilkerson said.

Wyatt entered his plea Oct. 15 in Tarrant County Criminal Court No. 8 in Fort Worth.

He had faced a maximum of a year in prison and a $4,000 fine on each of the charges.

But he avoided a jail sentence by reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors last week, authorities said.

Officials with the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners could not be reached Tuesday to comment on Wyatt's professional status.

Wyatt and his attorney, Bill Magnussen of Fort Worth, also could not be reached to comment.

The couple had marital problems before the shooting, police said.

On Aug. 7, 2000, Wyatt's wife was assaulted at home by another woman whom Wyatt knew, according to Colleyville police reports

Wyatt's wife declined to file a complaint, Colleyville police said.

On the night of Oct. 10, 2000, the couple argued at a Fort Worth restaurant, Hurst police said. At some point at the restaurant, Wyatt dragged his wife by her hair, police said.

That brought the charge of assault bodily injury, according to Tarrant County criminal court records.

That night, Wyatt's wife and their two children took refuge at her parents' house in Hurst, police said. She brought a .357-caliber handgun, police said.

Later that night, Wyatt drove to Hurst and banged on the doors of his in-laws' house, police said.

His wife got out the handgun as she, her two children and her parents hurried into a bedroom, police said.

Witnesses told police that Wyatt entered the house and then broke through a locked bedroom door.

Wyatt's wife fired two shots, striking Wyatt once in the chest when he stepped into the bedroom, police said.

Domingo Ramirez Jr., (817) 685-3822

NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed, without profit, for research or educational purposes. We do our best, as well, to give credit to the original news source who published these Guns Save Lives stories out of respect and appreciation for their willingness to spread the word that Guns Save Lives -- and when an original link is available, we ALWAYS send all our visitors to read the original article on the original site where it was posted. God Bless the Americans that publish these stories - for assisting Americans in hearing the truth about guns saving lives.