BEDFORD – A Bedford man is facing felony charges following a domestic disturbance that resulted in a late-night search by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department.
Joshua L. Prince, 40, has been charged with domestic battery with a prior unrelated conviction and battery by body waste following an incident at his residence on April 15.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Captain Harrison Fleetwood, the situation began late Tuesday night when Prince called dispatch to have a female guest removed from his home at 60 Carver Lane. Upon arrival, Captain Fleetwood noted that Prince appeared “extremely impaired.”
Officers determined that the woman had been living at the residence for several weeks, establishing tenancy. Prince was advised that he would need to pursue a legal eviction to have her removed and was encouraged to go to sleep for the night to avoid further conflict.
However, just before midnight, Prince called dispatch a second time, alleging that the female was being violent. When Captain Fleetwood and Sergeant Whitney Daugherty arrived back at the scene, they located the woman on the front porch.
The woman reported that after officers left the first time, she remained outside on the phone with a friend. When she eventually re-entered the home, she alleged that Prince began yelling profanities at her, approached her, and spat in her face.
The male witness on the phone corroborated the woman’s account to the police, stating he heard the verbal abuse and the sound of spitting over the speakerphone.
By the time officers arrived for the second call, Prince had already fled the scene on foot. A search of the property, including outbuildings and vehicles, was unsuccessful in locating him. Authorities noted that the charge of domestic battery was elevated due to Prince having at least one prior unrelated conviction for a similar offense.
The woman was later picked up from the residence by a friend.
A warrant was requested for Prince’s arrest. He was detained on Monday, May 11, on a charge of domestic battery and battery by bodily waste.
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.
