BEDFORD – A Bloomfield man was arrested on Monday following a domestic disturbance at a home on Burton Cemetery Road in Lawrence County.
Jesse Burton, 29, of Bloomfield, was taken into custody on charges of domestic battery, a Level 5 felony, and domestic battery, a Level 6 felony.
According to an affidavit for probable cause filed by Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Davis Miller, the incident occurred on Monday, June 30, 2025. The female homeowner contacted Lawrence County Dispatch to report that Jesse Burton had allegedly hit a juvenile in the face before leaving her home.
Deputies Miller and T. Porter responded to the scene, where an ambulance and the fire department were already tending to the juvenile. The juvenile, who would later be taken to the emergency room by guardians, was observed with “bleeding from his nose, swelling in his nasal area, redness,” and was “having difficulty breathing.”
Witnesses provided varying accounts of the incident. The juvenile’s stepmother stated that after the juvenile was “calling his cousin fat” and “talking back,” she “politely bopped the juvenile in the mouth.” She then tried to hold the juvenile to calm him down. But she claimed that Jesse Burton then got involved, and she saw his hand go to the juvenile, resulting in a bleeding nose. She also noted that five juveniles were present and witnessed or heard the incident.
The juvenile’s father stated that the juvenile was “mouthy,” but he was handling it, planning to “busting his butt” by wrestling on the floor. He then said Jesse Burton “stepped in and smacked the juvenile in the face,” though he was unsure if it was with a closed or open fist. The juvenile’s father admitted to threatening to “beat and shoot Jesse” in the heat of the moment.
Another female witness stated she saw Pless holding the juvenile, but Jesse Burton “got up out of his chair, walked over to [the juvenile] and then punched him in the face with a closed fist.” When asked directly, the juvenile confirmed that Jesse Burton hit him in the nose.
Later that evening, Jesse Burton and his wife came to the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department to provide their account. Jesse Burton stated that the juvenile was “acting up, calling his son fat and smarting off,” and that the juvenile’s “parents do not do anything about it and just let him go,, and Jesse is tired of it.” He claimed he was trying to “just give him a little bop in the mouth” and was not trying to hit him in the nose. Jesse and his wife also claimed that the juvenile “went to hit him and he tried to stop by putting his own arm up, and that’s how the juvenile ended up with the bloody nose.” They also mentioned the juvenile’s father threatening to shoot Jesse and damage his vehicle.
Jesse Burton was subsequently booked into jail. The juvenile’s father later notified authorities that the juvenile’s nose was bruised, as determined at the emergency room.
A Probable Cause Affidavit outlines the initial findings and allegations that led to an arrest. Criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
