Bloxham testified at the March 2004 preliminary hearing that Barron was holding the gun in his hand and pointed it at officers over his left shoulder as he moved towards the front door. During the trial, Bloxham testified that during his initial testimony he had been confused and misunderstood the judge, and that Barron had held the gun pressed to his chest as he pointed it at officers.There was also conflicting testimony from Barron’s family and friends. The weapon was found underneath Barron after he was shot.Barron filed a $35-million civil rights lawsuit against the DEA and the City of Santa Paula in 2004. He is on trial for selling methamphetamine, conspiring to sell same, and assault with a firearm. If found guilty he faces up to 11 years in prison.Barron, who requires around the clock care, could get a suspended sentence or be sentenced to home custody if convicted of the charges. The jury began deliberations Friday.
Barron: Jurors start deliberating case of SP man shot by DEA agent
October 12, 2005
Santa Paula News
A verdict is expected this week in the trial of a Santa Paula man who was shot by an Drug Enforcement Agency agent in front of his west side home, leaving the suspected drug dealer a quadriplegic.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesA verdict is expected this week in the trial of a Santa Paula man who was shot by an Drug Enforcement Agency agent in front of his west side home, leaving the suspected drug dealer a quadriplegic. Edward Barron, 26, appeared at his Ventura County Courthouse trial in the wheelchair he has been confined to as the result of the April 2002 shooting in front of his West Santa Barbara Street home.DEA Agent Dustin Bloxham fired three shots at Barron - who allegedly pointed a gun at law enforcement officers - during the tail end of a months-long investigation into drug sales, jurors were told last week. Santa Paula Police and the DEA had been investigating Barron for the sales of methamphetamine, including local sales to a DEA informant of up to an ounce of the narcotic.In April 2002, the SPPD and DEA law enforcement team surrounded Barron’s house on the 600 block of West Santa Barbara Street. Barron, who had been standing in the driveway when officers arrived on scene, headed for the front door and allegedly pulled a handgun from the waistband of his pants, pointing it at the officers.That’s when gunshots erupted and Bloxham fired three shots, hitting Barron in the head and neck, causing massive injuries. Barron’s family, including his then toddler daughter and twin infant sons, was inside the home at the time of the shooting.
