Yikes! I am thankful that this kind of thing has never happened to anyone I know, and I'm glad that the deputies took this seriously. Domestic violence often starts small and escalates, so possession of a gun itself isn't a problem, and having her keys after working on her house seems legit except that she'd already fired him and filed a restraining order. Claiming to be trying to return keys seems harmless enough, but after having a restraining order filed, causing a public scene and the same night finding all four tires flattened, then heading to her house a couple of weeks later with a loaded weapon indicates escalation.
Smith told deputies that he was at the woman’s house to return a hammer that belonged to her, and because he wanted to cut down some of her trees for firewood, it said. But the affidavit said there was more to it than that.
Deputies also found two sets of keys they believed belong to Erickson in a backpack inside Smith’s car.
He also allegedly admitted to going over to Erickson’s house to try to smooth things over with her after their breakup, and to trying to return her keys and a hammer, although deputies never found a hammer in his vehicle when they searched it.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
