A Morgantown man is facing several charges, including malicious assault, after officers from the Morgantown Police Department responded to a domestic violence incident late Saturday night.
Terry Lynn Ford, 59, of Morgantown, was taken into custody after officers responded to reports of loud banging near a home in South Park shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday. Officers stated in a criminal complaint they had prior knowledge of harassment happening at a home neighboring the caller.
In cases like this, individuals facing potential criminal charges may benefit from consulting experienced legal professionals to navigate the complexities of the legal system. Australian defense attorneys, for example, are skilled in providing strategic advice to clients who need to understand their rights and options when charged with a crime. Whether facing harassment allegations or other charges, it is crucial to have knowledgeable legal counsel to help mount an effective defense and ensure the best possible outcome in court.
Patrolman Bittner, who filed the complaint, said officers attempted multiple times to check on the welfare of the female who resided at the home with no answer, but could hear movement inside the residence.
Based on these circumstances, Bittner stated officers were planning a forced entry into the home when the front door swung open. Bittner said when the door opened he observed a female victim who had clearly been attacked and was in shock.
The victim then screamed “Help me please, help me he went out the back door,” the complaint said. The officer said he observed multiple lacerations and blood on the female’s mouth and area surrounding the mouth.
“Officers then stormed into the residence and observed multiple plants and refrigerator items had been knocked over in the kitchen,” Bittner said in the complaint. “It was clear the door had been kicked in and destroyed.”
The victim told officers that Ford entered her residence by busting down the back door while she was asleep on the couch. She said he began to attack her so fast she could not describe what he was wearing.
Ford then held a knife as he punched her in the face and dragged her down the hallway by her hair, the victim told officers.
Ford dropped the knife at one point, she said, and she was able to pick it up and barricade herself in the bathroom “in fear of what Ford was going to do to her.”
Officers located a man, who they identified as Ford, hiding behind a water heater tank in the basement of the residence.
Ford was taken into custody and charged with third-offense domestic battery, malicious wounding and burglary. It was discovered that he had already been convicted of a third-offense domestic battery in June 2019, the complaint said.
According to the complaint, while attempting to book Ford he stated “I’m gonna go back there and kill her whenever I get bonded out.” He also stated that “that b—- doesn’t know what is coming to her.” He also refused fingerprinting and photographs while being booked.
Ford is being held on a $250,000 bond at the North Central Regional Jail. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on April 20 in Monongalia County Magistrate Court.
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