Man who shot his lawn mower claims redneck exemption

A 43-year-old man said to have shot at his lawn mower while intoxicated, fought his adult son and pulled a shotgun on the son was arrested after being shocked three times with a Taser. Mark Thomas Wach, of Palm City, was arrested on Nov. 20 on charges including aggravated domestic assault with a firearm and domestic battery in connection with the incidents near his home. Wach told a Martin County Sheriff's deputy he was puzzled about why he was going to jail.

"He then stated that he shoots in the yard all the time and that fighting is what redneck people do," records state. Wach's 18-year-old son, who said he wasn't hurt, said that about 45 minutes before he called authorities, Wach was intoxicated in the side yard shooting a pistol at his lawn mower. Wach went on his son's porch and began "a verbal altercation with him over (the son's) mother not paying child support."



The son said Wach pointed the pistol "all over," but the son managed to get the .380 caliber handgun away. Wach left, and his son thought he was going home "to sleep it off." Instead, Wach returned with a 12 gauge shotgun. The son said Wach started to point the pump action shotgun at him, but he wrestled it away. They engaged in a physical altercation, and the son said they rolled out onto the porch. That's when a deputy arrived and saw them fighting.

Wach was on top of his son, and the deputy told him to stop fighting. Wach didn't, and the deputy shocked him with an X-26 Taser. Wach didn't follow additional instructions and was shocked twice more. The son wouldn't complete a written statement because he didn't want his dad to get in trouble. Wach said he didn't understand why he was being taken to the Martin County jail. He said he routinely shoots in the yard, saying "fighting is what redneck people do."