It’s a feature, not a bug!
Yet another Republican politician has been accused of assaulting his wife. This time he was not only arrested, but he resigned.
Arkansas state representative Austin McCollum, a Republican candidate for Benton County judge, was arrested this past Saturday for a shocking and violent assault of his wife, Ragan.
She reports that the couple returned from a wedding celebration when he ‘got mad and started throwing things at me.’ She stated that he threw numerous things, including shoes, deodorant, and even a metal hanger. He also prevented her from leaving the bedroom, blocking access by standing or sitting in front of the door.
The situation escalated substantially.
She reports that:
“At some point he threw me face down on the bed and put both knees (and full body weight) on my back, holding my arms back. Then he removed his left knee and slid his right knee to the back of my neck, pushing my face into the mattress so that I couldn’t breathe.”
She made it to the door and tried to escape, which led him to allegedly slam the door on her hand multiple times.
Then he PUNCHED HER multiple times.
The abuse continued. She reported that:
“There was blood everywhere, and I couldn’t see. He grabbed my hair and slammed my head to the ground multiple times. He finally let me up and began telling me to clean up and shower so that he could help stop the bleeding,”
When she was finally able to escape, she ran downstairs and found her grandmother before screaming for someone to call 911.
He was arrested later that day and charged with suspicion of aggravated assault on a family or household member, false imprisonment in the first degree, and misdemeanor domestic battery.
Police reported that they found him drunk, covered in blood on his arms and legs, as well as injuries to his knuckles consistent with someone punching something or someone.
Ragan was also granted an order of protection after she told the court about numerous previous incidents of assault, one of which included him pushing her down a flight of stairs.
He was released from jail on Sunday after posting a $10,000 bond and will be formally arraigned on September 8th. He resigned from his current position on Wednesday.
Hopefully she remains safe. The most dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence is immediately after the abuser is charged and released from jail.
