BEDFORD – A Bedford man was arrested on Saturday, September 7, following a domestic dispute that led to allegations of battery against his wife and juvenile son.
The incident occurred at a residence on 22nd Street, with officers from the Bedford Police Department responding to a 911 call.
According to the affidavit filed by Captain Dakoda Emmons, officers were dispatched to the home at approximately 9:04 p.m. after a report of a domestic altercation. Upon arrival, officers made contact with a woman and her son. Both expressed concern that William Todd Pettit, 58, was inside the residence and potentially armed. The woman stated that Pettit had expressed a readiness to “die if police came.”
For safety reasons, officers directed the woman and her son to a secure location while attempting to contact Pettit. After several failed attempts to reach him, Bedford Police Sergeant Uebelhoer, a negotiator, successfully established phone contact with Pettit. He eventually agreed to exit the residence and was placed into custody without incident.
The woman told officers that Pettit had been verbally abusive throughout the day, yelling at her and calling her names. Around 3:00 p.m., she woke up from a nap and found him in the backyard, intoxicated and playing loud music. When she approached him, he allegedly became verbally aggressive again.
The situation escalated later in the evening while she was cooking dinner. Pettit entered the kitchen, forcibly grabbed a spatula from her hand, and began yelling. Their son intervened, telling Pettit not to touch his mother. According to the juvenile, Pettit responded by shoving him onto a couch, grabbing his wrist, and eventually putting him in a headlock.
Pettit admitted to officers that he had consumed seven to eight beers and acknowledged that he had argued with his family. He denied any physical altercation beyond pushing the woman with his stomach and swatting his son’s hand away.
Photographs were taken of the injuries, and a Domestic Violence Lethality Screening was conducted, which indicated a high danger. The woman declined to speak to a domestic violence advocate.
Following the arrest, William was transported to the Lawrence County Jail on charges of domestic battery in the presence of a minor and domestic battery against a person under 14.
