BEDFORD – A Bedford man was arrested on Tuesday, December 27 after Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic fight at 10:47 p.m. at 1150 Butterfly Lane.
While deputies were en route they were informed a gun may be involved. An Indiana State Police trooper also responded.
When police arrived they found a male covered in blood from several cuts and abrasions on his head and face. He refused to speak to the officers or press charges.
Police followed a grey Jeep that drove by the residence and blared its horn traveling south on Butterfly Lane.
A female at the home said the perpetrator lived down the road. She stated, “I don’t want to say because I don’t want him to lose his job.” She refused to name the perpetrator.
She stated the victim was her boyfriend and she has children with him.
When officers entered the home they found knocked-over furniture and blood splattered across multiple walls, as well as sizable dents in the drywall. These are all signs that are indicative of body parts and furniture making contact during a struggle.
The female was told the Department of Child Services would be contacted and that is when she told police the other male involved was 34-year-old Joshua Smith. She believed Smith got upset because he was jealous.
She told police Smith had been coming over regularly to see the children and they considered him a friend, but that night he was upset because the victim was at the house and he threatened to harm him.
She said Smith showed up and she asked him to leave. She said Smith forcefully pushed her down causing her to fall to the ground.
The officer that followed the Jeep earlier found Smith at 1033 Butterfly Lane. Smith had a bloody nose and blood splattered on his pants.
Smith told deputies he attempted to leave the house but the victim had wrapped his legs around him and he couldn’t. He said the victim “popped him in the nose” several times.
The deputies then viewed security video footage at the home. Smith is seen entering the home and the female yells at Smith to leave. At some point during the altercation, the camera was knocked askew and no longer captured video footage of the incident. The audio of the altercation between the two men could be heard.
Smith was detained on charges of residential entry, and domestic battery. He was transported to IU Health Hospital for a medical evaluation and then transported to jail.
