Ferriday — A Ferriday man was arrested Saturday after allegedly shooting a man during a family altercation.

Jeremy L. Scales, 24, 318 Iowa St., was charged with attempted second-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault.

Ferriday Police Department investigator Richard Madison said Scales reportedly shot the victim after Scales stepped into a fight between his brother-in-law and the victim at approximately 8:20 p.m. Saturday. The fight started in the residence’s yard and moved into Iowa Street.

The altercation began with Scales’ father-in-law ribbing the victim, who is dating Scales’ sister-in-law, Madison said.

Scales’ brother-in-law reportedly started fighting the victim because he did not like the way the victim was talking to his father, Madison said. When the victim punched Scales in the jaw, Scales reportedly pulled a .40-caliber pistol and shot the victim once in the area of his right knee, Madison said.

Madison said alcohol was involved in the incident.

After firing the first shot, Scales reportedly went back into the Iowa Street residence to get an AR-15 rifle, Madison said. But in the meantime, the victim’s friend arrived to take the victim to the hospital before Scales came back outside, Madison said. The victim had asked his friend to come pick him up before the fighting began, Madison said.

“He never had the opportunity to use that weapon,” Madison said. “Thank God that someone had picked the victim up and transported him to the hospital.”

The victim was stabilized at Riverland Medical Center in Ferriday and later transported to an Alexandria-area hospital for surgery.

Madison said the victim’s injuries did not appear to be life threatening.

Madison said the aggravated assault charges stem from firing a weapon in the vicinity of several people.

Scales was in jail Sunday with no bond set.