MIDVALE — A South Carolina man who allegedly shot an escort was charged Friday.

Michael Timothy Workman, 53, of Greenville, South Carolina, was charged in 3rd District Court with discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony; aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony; and sexual solicitation, a class B misdemeanor.

On Jan. 17, police say Workman hired an escort online and arranged to meet at an apartment at the Springs of Country Woods, 6945 S. Well Wood Road (1050 East). The 35-year-old woman, originally from Las Vegas, does not live at the apartment but uses it for her escort jobs, said Unified Police Lt. Brian Lohrke. The escort's boyfriend, another adult man, and the 5-month-old child of the woman and her boyfriend were also in the apartment.

After Workman arrived, he went into a room with the woman. One of the men later heard the woman screaming and Workman saying, "Where's it all at? Where's it at," according to charging documents. That was followed by Workman saying, "Yeah man, I need that money. I need that money."

Workman allegedly paid the woman $60 for a sex act, but demanded his money back when she was unable to fulfill it, the charges state.

When one of the men entered the room, he saw Workman had a gun and rushed at him. Workman hit the man in the head with the gun, and then a shot was heard, according to charging documents.

The woman was shot in the stomach and had to have 12 inches of her small intestine removed during surgery, the charges state. The bullet also nicked her spine, requiring additional surgery, court documents state.

After shooting the woman, Workman fired another round into the wall, telling the man "he had another one for him," the charges state.

As the two men fought again, an additional two to three shots were fired, according to the charges.

During the struggle, Workman's own finger was shot. He ran out of the apartment into his semitruck, which did not have a trailer attached, and left. Police spotted his vehicle near 7200 South and 900 East, stopped it and arrested Workman without further incident.

Workman later told police he only intended to scare the woman and the man and that the gun went off during the struggle for the gun, the charges state. He later told another detective, however, that he had pointed his gun at the man to get him to move away from the door, but then tried to empty his gun "so that if there was a fight, he would not get shot," the charges state.





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