April Freeman said Chris Bowman is the real victim in an incident that ended up with the former ice skating champion being arrested on Oct. 27.
Bowman has been charged with assaulting Freeman and being in possession of a gun while intoxicated at an apartment in the Village of Lake Orion.
‘This has been blown way out of proportion,? Freeman said last week. ‘He’s the victim, not me. We’re denying everything. His lawyer says some of the facts are in dispute.?
According to Freeman, who also lives in the village, Bowman and she are best friends and business partners. He has been a coach of her 18 year old daughter.
Freeman, who has some health problems, said Bowman has been her main health care giver and has taken care of every one of her needs.
Bowman, 37, has appeared in two Olympics (1988 and 1992), had a role in the TV series ‘Little House on The Prairie,? appeared in numerous TV commercials and has been a sports commentator.
Freeman said Bowman has legitimate reasons for having a gun. He still gets fan mail and some of it is threatening. Freeman said she’s even received negative phone calls toward him.
‘He’s gone to the gun range for target practice. He uses it for protection and recreation,? she added.
According to Freeman, on the day of the incident Bowman had been upbeat until he received a letter from the Friend of the Court. He’s divorced and has a seven year old child.
‘His whole demeanor changed after that,? she added.
Bowman told her he would take her shopping. They made plans for him to pick her up at 6 p.m. In her account, Freeman said he showed up at her house at 5 p.m. ‘I told him to come back at six,? she added.
Two hours after Bowman was expected at her house, Freeman was worried and decided to walk over to his apartment.
‘He buzzed me right in and opened his door for me. I didn’t see him right away. Then I saw him standing in the bathroom,? she said.
‘I couldn’t be sure he was pointing the gun at me. There was very little light. Him holding a gun freaked me out for a moment.?
Freeman said she went to a sink and vomited. ‘He was very attentive and helped me,? she added.
She saw a bottle of vodka on the counter. ‘He’s not supposed to be drinking; he’s on anti-depressants. ‘I was mad about the drinking, not the gun thing,? she said.
According to Freeman, she started to leave and then returned to Bowman’s apartment.
‘I wanted to talk to him about getting therapy for his depression. He agreed. I said let’s do it tomorrow. He promised me he wouldn’t hurt himself. I told him to take some medication and go to bed,? she said.
Freeman disputed published police reports that Bowman had barricaded his door. She claims the only thing that could have gotten in the way of opening the door would have been a golf bag that sits nearby.
She said there’s three locks, including a dead bolt, on the front door that Bowman always locks. ‘They had to bust the door open because of the locks,? she added
‘They also said they had to knock on the door for 40 minutes. If he had taken all of his medication, he wouldn’t have waken up until they all came in. They took him away in his PJs and socks. This is a huge misunderstanding.?
When Freeman got home, she called Bowman’s ex-wife, as a last resort, to talk about his frame of mind. The ex-wife called the police, according to Freeman.
Freeman said she had agreed to meet the ex-wife at Bowman’s apartment. She had been home for an hour when she received a phone call from someone telling her the police thought Bowman was holding her hostage.
She rushed to get there. ‘Police cars were everywhere. At one point a neighbor talked to me and told me he had killed himself,? added.
According to Freeman, she was asked to give a signed statement while she was still upset.
‘I hope all the charges are dropped. The only good thing out of this is he’ll hopefully be getting the help that he needs,? she said.
Freeman said Bowman is writing a book and six publicists have called her since the incident in the village.
According to LO Police Chief Jerry Narsh, two departments, Oakland County Sheriff’s and Oxford, assisted his village officers.
‘I’m confident that all the officers involved acted professionally and it was a coordinated effort,? he said.
‘When you get a report such as this one, we will take all the necessary precautions to protect everyone in the building and safely investigate the incident.?