BEDFORD – The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department launched an investigation into a reported physical domestic dispute that occurred on April 24, 2025, landing charges against a Bedford man. Donald S. Dorsett, 46, is facing charges of domestic battery and strangulation.
Sgt. Whitney Daugherty-Anderson responded to a call at the residence at approximately 11:47 p.m., after dispatch received a report from a female alleging she had been choked and spit on by a male.
Upon arrival, Sgt. Daugherty-Anderson met with a woman who had marks around her neck and told the officer that Dorsett had choked her on the bed. She recounted that the altercation began in the kitchen over her giving food to their dogs and escalated to the bedroom. The woman alleged that Dorsett pushed her off the bed and then got on top of her, placing his hands around her neck and spitting cottage cheese on her face. She stated she could not breathe during the incident. Both parties had reportedly been drinking.
Donald Dorsett was later located behind the garage by assisting ISP and Mitchell Police units. After being read his Miranda Rights, Dorsett denied pushing the woman off the bed or strangling her, suggesting that the woman’s alcohol content be checked. He claimed he left the scene because he “did not want to deal with her,” a statement Sgt. Daugherty-Anderson noted that it was inconsistent with the audio recording.
A witness told Police she saw Dorsett “up around the woman” with his hands, though she did not see his hands directly around her neck.
The female victim expressed her desire to press charges against Dorsett, who was transported to a hotel in Bedford for the night. Photographs of the woman’s injuries were taken and attached to the report and forwarded to the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office, and a warrant was issued for Dorsett’s arrest. He was detained on Wednesday, May 21.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
