Monday, January 25, 2016
Man Faces Assault, Child Neglect Charges After Young Daughter Calls For Help
Lawrenceburg Now
A local man is facing a number of charges, including assault of a police officer and child neglect, after his young daughter placed a call for help last week.
Reports filed through the Lawrenceburg Police Department show that officers were dispatched on a medical call to the 344 Groh Street home of thirty-five year old James Erich Williams shortly after 6:00 Wednesday morning. They were dispatched after Williams’ seven-year-old daughter placed a 911 call seeking assistance because “she couldn’t get her daddy to wake up.” She said that she was inside the home with her father and two year old brother.
Reports show that the first officer on the scene knocked on the door several times, but was unable to gain a response. The officer reports listening at the door and hearing a small child crying, saying, “my daddy.” The officer reports opening the door at that point “to preserve life.”
The officer reports, “I was under the impression I was entering the residence to help an unresponsive father.” Reports show that the officer began to calm the small child, then noticed a man, later identified as Williams, sitting on the floor, holding a metal crutch. Once the officer asked if Williams was all right, he reports, “He aggressively stood up screaming at me.” The officer noted that Williams had blood running down his face and informed him that there was an ambulance just outside. Williams then reportedly picked up a beer bottle and threw it at the officer “with force.”
The officer avoided being struck by the bottle by dodging out the front door. The bottle impacted near the door, shattering and showering the area in debris. At that point, the officer reports that Williams, “Came out screaming at me aggressively,” brandishing the crutch. Williams reportedly “began to violently swing the crutch at me, almost striking my head.”
Reports show that Williams disregarded numerous orders to stop the actions, refusing to comply. He continued to advance on the officer in a menacing manner. After issuing several warnings, the officer deployed a taser. The officer reports that Williams, “never really lost any motor functions due to the fact that he was rolling on the ground, and never dropped the metal crutch…He began to advance again, swinging the crutch violently while being tased.”
The officer reports that Williams “began to chase EMS and firefighters” on the scene “with the metal crutch attempting to attack them as well.” The officer warned them and they were able to retreat to safety inside their vehicles. Williams reportedly began to use the crutch to beat on a fire truck, “attempting to break the windows.” He inflicted an estimated $1,000 worth of damage.
Backup officers arrived on the scene and Williams was tased by a second officer. The reporting officer noted, “Williams appeared to be stronger than the average human due to it taking three officers to put on handcuffs.” Once restrained, officers were able to transport him to the hospital for evaluation for injuries. A drug screen was completed at the hospital and reports show that it “came back positive for benzodiazepines, methamphetamine, and marijuana.”
Once Williams was released by the Emergency Room doctor, he was transported to the Lawrence County Detention Center without further incident. There, he was booked under charges that include assault of a police officer, vandalism, resisting arrest, and two counts of child neglect. He was incarcerated under a bond of $13,000 and was scheduled a General Sessions court appearance on February 5, 2016.
The case was referred for review through the Department of Children’s Services.
