According to testimony Monday, the woman who fired a shot at an Eau Claire Street resident later told officers she did so in self-defense.

Having posted a $5,000 bond, Xzavia M. Adams, 23, of Butler, appeared for a preliminary hearing Monday before District Judge William Fullerton. She is charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor reckless endangerment.

During his testimony, Butler police Lt. David Villoti said after he identified Adams as the alleged shooter, he received a search warrant for her apartment. He said he found one of the two 9 mm pistols Adams owns inside the apartment.

Villoti said he then arrested Adams in relation to the Oct. 7 shooting, after which police found a 9 mm shell casing and one live 9 mm round on the ground.

“She said, ‘But I have a permit,’” said Villoti, referring to her concealed carry permit. “She stated it was self-defense. She felt threatened by the man on his porch.”

Allen Christie, the man on the porch, also testified Monday. Christie said he was sleeping when he was awakened in the early morning hours by an apparent argument in the parking lot of the Eau Claire Lounge.

He said he yelled out his window for them to quiet down, and then went down to his front porch. He said he argued with three men, who had then exited a vehicle. He said he didn’t notice Adams until she reached into the car.

“She came out from the back of the car and shot at me,” Christie said. “They drove away screaming.”

Christie said the words the group used as the vehicle sped off made him feel that the shot was fired intentionally. The Butler Eagle will not repeat the alleged phrase, which includes racially insensitive words.

Christie said although the lighting was poor, he believed Adams was the shooter, and he noted that she was otherwise quiet among the others in the group.

“I saw her as she was firing the gun,” Christie said. “She did not say anything, actually.”

Villoti said he later pulled security footage from the bar. He said the outside camera captured the incident, which closely resembled Christie’s testimony, although the camera did not have audio capabilities.

Villoti said he then used the camera inside the bar to obtain still images. He said another officer found a Facebook profile for one of the women Adams had been spending time with. He said the officer then went through that woman’s friend list until finding a profile photograph that matched.

During cross-examination, Adams’ attorney, Jeffrey Weinberg, asked why charging documents didn’t specifically say that Adams allegedly shot “at,” instead of words like “toward” or “in the direction of.”

During cross-examination of Christie, Weinberg asked a similar line of questions to which Christie responded Adams shot toward his house with him on the front porch and his family inside.

Weinberg cited a lack of clarity regarding his argument, and argued the aggravated assault charge should be dismissed.

“They’re performing all sort of verbal gymnastics,” Weinberg said. “They’re not saying (the bullet) was fired at Christie.”

Fullerton instead moved all charges forward to the Butler County Common Pleas Court.

“He’s right there on the front porch of the house, and she did say she was defending herself,” Fullerton said.

Following the hearing, Weinberg maintained that the aggravated assault charge does not fit the evidence or testimony, but he understood that the threshold at preliminary hearings is low.

“At this level, this is their day,” Weinberg said.

Adams is scheduled to appear for formal arraignment April 12 in county court.