MAGOFFIN COUNTY, Ky. (WMDJ) – A Magoffin County man faces an attempted murder charge after deputies say he assaulted his ex-wife and fired a handgun during a domestic incident Monday.

According to the Magoffin County Sheriff’s Office, Garland Dwayne Elsea and his ex-wife had attended court earlier that day to dismiss a protective order before returning to his Bloomington home.

Deputies say Elsea allegedly assaulted her during an argument. Their daughter and her boyfriend intervened before Elsea retrieved a handgun from a closet and fired toward his ex-wife, according to police.

The boyfriend restrained Elsea until deputies arrived. Investigators say the gun fired once and malfunctioned on a second attempt.

Elsea was charged with attempted murder, second-degree strangulation and first-degree wanton endangerment.

Officials say the handgun was separate from firearms previously seized under the protective order, which remain in the sheriff’s custody. The arrest citation did not detail injuries from the reported incident.