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JOSEPHINE COUNTY Neighbors remember Sunny Valley shootout Two shot, one arrested after verbal dispute turned violent Comment By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted May. 19, 2016 at 2:21 PM Updated May 19, 2016 at 3:18 PM By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted May. 19, 2016 at 2:21 PM Updated May 19, 2016 at 3:18 PM » Social News Robert Greinke remembers the day he was shot. His Sunny Valley neighbor, Donald Wayne Barrett, 65, was being his usual self, armed, drunk and screaming threats, Greinke said Wednesday in Josephine County Circuit Court. "Just a very difficult person to deal with," he recalled, standing in the courtroom gallery, giving a victim's statement. "We would try to bite our tongues and deal with it." But on that day — July 21 of last year — enough was enough, he said. So he and his buddy, Brian Leque, went next door to Barrett's place, in the 800 block of Placer Road, to have a chat. "We're starting to get real tired of Don," Greinke recalled. "We have had it. How much can you take?" At some point, the meeting turned ugly. "We start to say things that shouldn't be said," Greinke remembered. Words turned into bullets as Barrett pulled his gun and began firing. Both Greinke and Leque were shot in the abdomen. Greinke also was hit in the upper leg. Leque's wife, Darby, meanwhile, fired a couple of warning shots from her own gun, which Greinke credited with driving off Barrett until Oregon State Police arrived. Darby Leque said Barrett fired a round past her head, and that she herself fired into the ground. "I was in a shootout with him," she said in court. Barrett didn't make a statement, but his attorney, Chris Mecca, said outside the courtroom that the situation was ripe for disaster. "Tensions were just getting higher and higher," Mecca said. "I imagine that happens when you have a marijuana grow on your property. Barrett leased land to the others for a marijuana grow. Things went downhill from there. "On the day in question, things escalated," Mecca continued. "One of the guys actually charged Mr. Barrett's wife and knocked the phone out of her hand. The shooting took place shortly thereafter. There was a very real issue of self-defense, of defense of others." Police arrested Barrett, and he was held on charges of first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. He eventually struck a deal with the prosecution, which dropped the assault charges. Chief Deputy District Attorney Lisa Turner said she would have tried the case, had there not been a deal, but that she would have had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Barrett did not act in self-defense. Based on the plea deal, Hull sentenced Barrett, who had no criminal record, to 60 days custody and three years probation, with the proviso that he serve 30 months prison if his probation is ever revoked. Barrett also must pay unspecified restitution to cover medical costs. With credit for time served, Barrett could be out in two weeks. He's been free on bail since shortly after the shooting. Darby Leque was disappointed in the outcome, but said that she just wants to move on — and move away from Barrett. "For them to give probation, that's insane," she said. "The next person up there, I'm worried for them." By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted May. 19, 2016 at 2:21 PM Updated May 19, 2016 at 3:18 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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