MITCHELL — A Mitchell man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after a domestic dispute allegedly turned violent, resulting in felony charges of strangulation and domestic battery.
Zachary Atchison, 33, was taken into custody by the Lawrence County Police Department. He faces two felony counts filed in Lawrence County court on domestic battery on an endangered person, a Level 5 felony, and strangulation, a Level 6 felony.
The arrest followed a swift response from multiple county units after a third-party emergency call was placed by the victim’s family.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Captain Anthony G. Pope Jr., Lawrence County Dispatch received a 911 call at approximately 3:43 p.m. from a male family member. He reported that Atchison had struck his daughter and pulled her hair during an active physical altercation. He informed dispatchers that his daughter had called him crying from outside the residence while trying to escape Atchison, with whom she lives in a cohabitating romantic relationship.
A heavy police presence, including Captain Pope, Sergeant Compton, and Deputies Carter, Hogan, and Callahan, responded to the Yockey Estates home.
Upon arriving, officers knocked on a front window, announced their presence, and requested that everyone inside step outdoors. Sergeant Compton made initial contact with the female victim, while other deputies secured the front entrance and requested Atchison’s father to step outside.
Zachary Atchison was located by deputies in the basement of the home and was detained in handcuffs without further incident. After being brought upstairs, Atchison was read his Miranda warnings and agreed to speak with investigators.
When asked why law enforcement had been called, Atchison initially downplayed the situation, claiming he believed the 911 call was placed because the victim was having a panic attack. He claimed he was merely attempting to calm her down and denied that any physical contact had occurred.
However, interviews with the victim and a witness painted a much different picture:
Atchison’s father told police he was upstairs when he heard a loud verbal argument erupt downstairs. He listened closely to ensure it did not turn violent. He stated that the victim eventually fled out the back door, walked around to the front, and entered the house crying, telling him that Zachary had hit her. The father immediately ordered the victim to contact her parents to get her out of the house. He also ordered his son to hand over the victim’s cell phone, which the son complied with.
Sergeant Compton interviewed the female victim, who explained that the argument began after she discovered pornography and photographs of young girls on Atchison’s computer. She stated that when she attempted to walk upstairs to leave, Atchison pulled her back, placed her in a bear hug, and forced her back down the stairs. The victim alleged that Atchison shoved her onto a bed and down onto the floor, where he used his right hand to grip her throat and strangle her, making it difficult to breathe. She further stated that Atchison slapped the left side of her face with his hand.
During a follow-up interview, Captain Pope noted the odor of alcohol on Atchison’s person. After initially denying it, Atchison admitted he had consumed alcohol after returning home from work.
When confronted with the victim’s specific allegations of strangulation, physical restraint, and slapping, Atchison denied every claim. He acknowledged that the victim became upset over files on his computer, but maintained that the only physical contact between them was a consensual embrace ten minutes after the argument to console one another. He claimed the victim was sitting on his lap when police arrived.
Despite Atchison’s persistent denials to multiple deputies, physical evidence at the scene corroborated the victim’s account. Captain Pope documented a bright red mark clearly visible on the front of the victim’s throat, and photographic evidence of the injury was taken by the police.
A domestic violence lethality form and an unsigned domestic battery affidavit were completed at the scene. Atchison was transported to the Lawrence County Jail for booking and housing.
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.
