TUNNELTON – A Tunnelton man, Lonnie Hanners, 61, is facing charges of battery and criminal mischief following an incident reported to the Lawrence County Police Department in the early hours of July 2, 2025.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Sgt. Whitney Daugherty-Anderson, the dispatcher, received a call around 2:30 a.m. concerning an accident involving a vehicle that left the scene and a battery incident at Hanner’s address in Tunnelton. The caller reported that Lonnie Hanners had been drinking, hit his truck, and then pushed his sister down.
Upon arrival, Sgt. Daugherty-Anderson met with two males and a female.
One male informed police that he and three others reside on Hanners’ property, paying him monthly rent. The male stated that Hanners often becomes very angry and confrontational when drinking. The others corroborated this, adding that Hanners had not been physical with anyone until that night.
The male recounted returning home to find Hanners agitated. He attempted to calm Hanners down. During this time, Hanners allegedly flipped over a picnic table, pushed the woman down, and poured water on her. He stated that Hanners then got into his vehicle, left the property without turning on his lights, and struck the male’s parked pickup truck. Hanners then reportedly backed up and drove away.
The woman told Sgt. Daugherty-Anderson Hanners was angry and pushed her to the ground, causing her to land in dog feces. She recalled a large pot of water nearby and couldn’t tell if Hanners poured it on her or kicked it on her, but he allegedly stated he “meant to do it.”
The other male stated he witnessed the altercation and told Hanners to stop. He confirmed that Hanners admitted to pushing the woman down, but he didn’t explicitly see Hanners push her; he did see her fall to the ground.
The woman signed a battery affidavit and requested that charges be pursued against Hanners. She reported hurting her left ankle when she was pushed, but confirmed she was otherwise okay, with no visible physical injuries documented by the officer.
A warrant was requested for the arrest of Lonnie Hanners on charges of battery and criminal mischief. He was detained on Wednesday, July 23.
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.
