Man, 80, once tied to slain Brookside lawyer, arraigned in scrap metal shooting case

The attorney for an 80-year-old businessman accused of shooting at a suspected thief in Kansas City said Thursday there was no evidence the shot was actually aimed at the victim.

His client, David Jungerman, has been held in the Jackson County jail without bond since he was arrested in connection with the March 8 incident at a recycling center where Jungerman, armed with a handgun, allegedly confronted a man and woman he suspected of stealing 780 pounds of iron pipe from his business.

Prosecutors have accused Jungerman of shooting at the man during the confrontation, but Jungerman told investigators he was acting in self-defense.

Last fall, Jungerman was the subject of media speculation after a Kansas City attorney, Tom Pickert, was fatally shot outside of his Brookside home. Jungerman has denied any involvement in the Pickert shooting, which remains unsolved, and Kansas City police have said he is not a suspect.

Pickert had won a $5.75 million lawsuit against Jungerman, who in 2012 shot and injured four men he suspected of stealing copper from his business. Jungerman was never charged in those incidents. He has appealed the judgment Pickert won against him.

On Thursday, Jungerman appeared in Jackson County Circuit Court, in an orange jail jumpsuit and shackles, for an arraignment on four charges related to the March 8 incident at the recycling center.

He entered a not guilty plea to three felonies — armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon — and misdemeanor assault.

He is scheduled to appear in court again May 1.

According to court documents, the March 8 incident began when Jungerman called police shortly before 1 p.m. to report someone was stealing pipe from his baby furniture business at 131 Belmont Blvd.

While on the phone with police, Jungerman allegedly confronted a man and woman at a recycling center at 4300 E. 12th St., where the man had just sold the iron, according to a police report.

During the confrontation, Jungerman allegedly pointed a gun at the man and at the woman, who was pregnant, according to court documents.

At least one witness heard a gunshot. When police arrested Jungerman they seized from his vehicle a .38-caliber revolver with one spent shell casing and four live rounds.

When questioned by police, Jungerman said he fired the round as a warning shot when the man "came at him."

In an interview with a Star reporter Thursday, Jungerman's attorney, Dan Ross, said the evidence didn't show that Jungerman fired the gun at the man.

The video doesn't show Jungerman aiming the shot at the man, Ross said, and witnesses didn't see the shot. The victims in the case have not provided their account of what happened, Ross said.

"There's no basis for a charge of shooting at someone if nobody says 'He shot at me,' " Ross said.

In an unrelated case, Jungerman is facing attempted burglary and harassment charges stemming from a 2016 dispute with people staying on his property in Vernon County.

Last October, Jackson County court officials started the process of seizing Jungerman's real estate to pay the judgment that Pickert won.

This story was originally published April 5, 2018 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Man, 80, once tied to slain Brookside lawyer, arraigned in scrap metal shooting case."