BEDFORD – A Bedford man with a prior conviction for domestic violence was arrested after a neighbor called police to report a physical domestic altercation that had just occurred.
Officers with the Bedford Police Department responded to the 3000 block of Ted Jones Drive on September 26, where they found the female victim at a neighbor’s apartment. Officer Sarah Haluda noted the female victim had visible, recent injuries to her face and bruising on her arms in various stages of healing.
The suspect, Jeffery S. Staggs, 41, of Bedford, was located exiting a neighbor’s apartment and was taken into custody.
The victim was initially hesitant to speak and appeared to be under the influence of drugs, according to the probable cause affidavit. She eventually disclosed that a physical altercation had taken place with her and Jeffery Staggs, after a neighbor intervened in a verbal argument.
The female told police that Jeffery was angry because he had recently failed a drug screen for his probation. She made several alarming claims, including that Jeffery had shoved her into a wall during the argument, hit her with a small bat in a prior incident causing the bruising on her arms, dragged her across the apartment and “stomped” on her her causing injuries to her upper thigh in a previous incident, attempted to strangle her in the past and forced her to use meth to cause her to fail probation drug screens.
Jeffery Staggs denied all claims of abuse, telling the officer that the woman has “multiple personalities and mental health issues,” causing her to make false statements. He claimed he was merely a caregiver for her and that his prior domestic battery allegation, which led to him serving prison time, was also false.
The affidavit noted that the argument on September 26 reportedly began after the victim threw away drug paraphernalia and other drug-related items in the apartment that morning. The victim’s Probation Officer confirmed to police that he had seen the alleged victim on September 24, and she did not have the injuries observed by the arresting officers.
Jeffery Staggs was transported and booked into the Lawrence County Jail. Based on the victim’s injuries and his criminal history, he was charged with domestic battery causing injury and domestic battery with a prior conviction.
The affidavit also noted that Jeffery Staggs is currently on probation or parole as a result of a prior felony conviction.
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.
