A woman accused of threatening a former supervisor with a gun earlier this year was convicted in Caddo District Court Tuesday, December 7, 2021.

Amberneshia Alexus Leonard, 25, was found guilty of attempted aggravated assault with a firearm through a unanimous vote of the four-man, two-woman jury in District Judge Donald Hathaway Jr.’s courtroom following 45 minutes of deliberations. Proceedings began Monday, December 6, following jury selection.

Jurors heard that the defendant was an employee at the Ellerbe Road Kroger Market Place, where on January 5 of this year, she was suspended pending termination for violations of company policy. After leaving the store following a verbal altercation with her manager, she returned five minutes later armed with a firearm.  She confronted the store manager, who had suspended her, and pulled the weapon from her pocket. Witnesses testified she did not point the gun at the manager but pulled it from her pocket in such a manner that it could be seen while she threatened the manager. Two other Kroger employees saw the gun and witnessed the threats. Ms. Leonard left the store before the police arrived. However, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Ms. Leonard, and when she was arrested ten days later, she was found to still be in possession of the same firearm.

Jurors heard from three eyewitnesses and the arresting detective who recovered the gun.

When Ms. Leonard returns for sentencing on January 3, 2022, she faces a prison term of up to five years with or without hard labor.

Ms. Leonard was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Jason Waltman and Wynnifred Sanders. She was defended by Alonzo  Jackson.