A South Carolina man is accused of shooting his best friend with rubber bullets outside a Windham home after a confrontation and argument about the victim’s wife, court records show.

Ace D. Haseltine, 43, faces one count of elevated aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in a late-night encounter Sept. 29 with Galen Gullatt, who was shot multiple times with rubber bullets, according to police reports filed in Cumberland County Unified Criminal Court.

Haseltine, who was staying with a friend in the Winthrop area and planned to move to Maine from South Carolina, was released Tuesday from the Cumberland County Jail on $10,000 cash bail, according to the jail.

The confrontation occurred before dawn on Sept. 29 on Main Street in Windham.

Both Galen and Angela Gullatt, his wife, had two friends over the night before the shooting, and the group was drinking, according to police. The Gullatts were not getting along, according to the reports. Angela Gullatt had been texting someone but refused to tell her husband who it was. Gullatt, suspecting the recipient of the texts was Haseltine, called him that day to confront him about it.

Haseltine told police that he received separate text messages from the Gullatts that night each describing their frustration with their relationship, and how each planned to leave the other, according to a police report.

Galen Gullatt also sent Haseltine a photo of some liquor bottles and explained that he planned to get drunk and forget about everything, according to the police report.

“After the text about the alcohol Haseltine decided that he would drive to Windham as he was worried about (Galen) Gullatt,” police wrote in a report.

Haseltine said he was concerned that his friends would drink and drive, so Haseltine told police he sat outside the home in his truck, according to a report.

After a short time, Angela Gullatt walked out of the home barefoot and got into Haseltine’s truck. The two talked for a short time before Galen Gullatt realized his wife was not in bed.

Galen Gullatt went downstairs to get a drink of water. That’s when he saw his wife in the truck with Haseltine and went outside, he told police. “When he saw his wife in the truck with Haseltine, he asked what was going on and Haseltine responded that he was trying to help their marriage,” police wrote.

Gullatt then approached the truck, grabbed his wife and pulled her out of the truck, causing her to fall to the ground, he told police.

Haseltine, in a police interview, said he feared that Gullatt would beat his wife to death so he grabbed the gun from his center console, loaded with rubber bullets. Galen Gullatt retreated into the house to quickly pack a bag.

When Gullatt came back outside, he accused Haseltine of sleeping with his wife and the two began to fight. Haseltine fell in the parking lot and dropped the gun. Gullatt was still punching him, so Haseltine said he reached for the gun and fired at his friend from a few feet away, according to the police report.

Gullatt, not realizing he had been shot three times, got into his truck and drove to a relative’s home, where he quickly collapsed.

Haseltine also left before he realized that he did not know whether Gullatt was OK, and after making contact with friends of the Gullatt’s, decided to turn himself in to police.

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