Girlfriend: I Was on the Hood of Car Voluntarily

Vera Peters says the whole thing was a misunderstanding.

She says when she was clinging to the hood of her boyfriend's car in a Wal-Mart parking lot earlier this month, she was doing it because she wanted to.

"I was scared that he was leaving," said Peters. "I love him with everything that I have and I didn't want him to leave, and I thought he was leaving, so I jumped on the car to try and stop him and it just backfired."

Peters' son was in the back seat of that car and called 911 for help. When police arrived on the scene, they say Robert Scheib would not stop the car and rammed a police cruiser. They fired one shot, hitting him in the arm and the torso.

The district attorney recently ruled that shooting was justified.

But Peters says Scheib wasn't trying to harm her.

"He would never hurt me or my children - ever," she said.

Prosecutor Jon Birbek wasn't swayed by the story. 

"What a dangerous situation for her to put everybody in," Birbek said. "Holy mackerel."

During a Friday morning court appearance, Scheib watched a videotape of the incident, caught on police camera. He also listened to the child's 911 call. He and his attorney made the decision to waive his preliminary hearing. His bail was then reduced to $50,000.

"He's rather upset at the actions he took, because he realizes he put not only Vera, but one of the children in obvious danger," said defense attorney George Matangos.

Peters says her boyfriend is bipolar and had not taken his medication the night of the shooting. Scheib's family passionately defended him after the court hearing.

"He's a loving, kind, gentle person," said his mother, Angela Dietrich.

"He ain't got a violent bone in his body," said cousin Scott Cromleigh.