MITCHELL — A physical domestic disturbance call on the evening of November 15 led to the arrest of a Mitchell man who now faces multiple felony charges, including battery with a deadly weapon and possession of dangerous narcotics.
Joseph Norman, 50, was taken into custody by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department following an incident at a residence on Gun Club Road.
LCPD Officer Michael Martin and Deputy Augustus Hogan responded to the scene at approximately 7:45 p.m. after Central Dispatch reported a male subject had struck another man in the head with a baseball bat and was threatening to retrieve a firearm.
Upon arrival, Officer Martin observed Norman emerging from the area holding a baseball bat. Norman was immediately ordered to drop the weapon, which he did, and was subsequently detained.
The male victim was interviewed and stated that Norman had struck him multiple times with the bat—once in the head, and twice on the back—during an argument over a magnet. The male victim sustained a visible, bleeding laceration on the left side of his head but declined transport to the hospital after being evaluated by emergency medical services.
Norman admitted to striking the male with the bat but claimed it was in self-defense, alleging the male victim had struck him first with a magnet.
A key witness alerted officers that Norman was known to keep a firearm mounted to the steering column of his truck, which was parked nearby. Officers confirmed the gun was visible inside the vehicle. The weapon was described in the affidavit as a black powder pistol manufactured to resemble a sawed-off shotgun.
The investigation expanded when Deputy Kenton Carter deployed K-9 Boone, who gave a positive alert for narcotics on the driver’s side door of Norman’s truck. A probable cause search of the truck led to the recovery of the firearm.
Based on the witness statement that Norman had gone inside his apartment to retrieve a firearm, officers secured a search warrant for the residence. During the execution of the first warrant, officers found a multi-colored smoking device in plain view, which field-tested positive for marijuana.
A second search warrant was then obtained, leading to the discovery of approximately three grams of suspected methamphetamine, eight grams of marijuana, and a trace amount of suspected fentanyl.
Norman is facing charges of battery with a deadly weapon, intimidation with a deadly weapon, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, possession of meth, possession of fentanyl, and possession of marijuana.
Joseph Norman was arrested and booked into the Lawrence County Jail. The investigation is ongoing.
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.
