BEDFORD — A Bedford man is facing a string of severe felony charges, including criminal confinement and attempted burglary, following a chaotic domestic dispute Sunday evening that culminated in a barricaded victim and a knife being recovered from a building laundry room.
William Edmund Melvin II, 65, who resides at 1305 K Street, Apartment 411, was arrested by the Bedford Police Department on May 31, 2026.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Bedford Police Officer Joshua Turner, the incident began at approximately 6:34 p.m. Bedford Police Dispatch received an emergency call from a female resident in the same 1305 K Street complex. The woman reported that Melvin was actively kicking her front door in an attempt to break into her home, and noted that the two had been involved in a physical altercation earlier that day.
When Officer Turner arrived on the scene and walked down the apartment hallway, he discovered Melvin standing directly outside the woman’s door, shouting, “Let me in.” When questioned, Melvin claimed he was simply trying to get the woman to unbarricade herself to let him inside so he could retrieve his personal belongings.
Officer Turner instructed Melvin to stand further down the hall while Major Swanson arrived to monitor him. Officer Turner then attempted to make contact with the woman, who struggled to open the door because she had heavily barricaded it to keep Melvin out.
Once inside the apartment, Officer Turner interviewed the woman, who outlined an hours-long ordeal that began around 11:00 a.m. after she returned from buying cigarettes. The woman stated that Melvin became enraged that she had taken too long and had not gone directly to his apartment.
The argument escalated out into the courtyard while she walked her dog, prompting the woman to convince Melvin to move upstairs to his apartment to avoid causing a public scene and to allow her to grab some personal items.
According to the affidavit, once they were inside Melvin’s apartment, the confrontation turned violent:
Melvin allegedly grabbed the woman forcefully by the arms, leaving visible bruises and marks on the back of her left arm, and shoved her in the face.
Melvin allegedly overturned a couch, brandished a knife with a large silver blade and a brown or black handle, and advanced toward her. He reportedly told her, “I will kill you,” and “You’re not going to leave.” When she attempted to stand up, Melvin stood over her and ordered her not to try.
The woman told police she was eventually able to de-escalate the situation by convincing Melvin that her dog needed to go outside again. They returned to her second-floor apartment, where Melvin announced he was going to her brother’s apartment, demanding she keep her door unlocked.
The moment Melvin left, the woman locked the door and heavily reinforced it due to a faulty locking mechanism. Melvin returned shortly after, violently shaking the handle, banging, and kicking the door while warning her that she “would be sorry” if she did not let him in. Officer Turner noted that fresh footprints left on the outside of the woman’s door perfectly matched the tread pattern on the bottom of Melvin’s shoes.
While Officer Turner was inside interviewing the woman, Melvin entered a communal resident laundry room while under the watch of Major Swanson. Melvin walked over to a sink, reaching inside it while shuffling canned food stored on top.
Officers later searched the laundry room sink and discovered a knife hidden inside that perfectly matched the brown-and-black-handled, large silver-bladed weapon described by the woman. The knife was photographed, seized, and taken to the Bedford Police Department to be processed for evidence.
Melvin was immediately placed in handcuffs and read his Miranda warnings. He denied that any physical altercation took place, claiming they had not been arguing and attempting to blame the woman’s visible physical injuries on her pre-existing medical conditions.
Melvin was escorted to a patrol vehicle by Officer Ratcliff and transported to the Lawrence County Jail for housing.
The woman signed a domestic battery affidavit and a medical release form, and police completed a domestic violence lethality screening. She was provided with an RBR Alliance domestic violence resource card and advised on how to file for an official protective order.
Based on the evidence, police determined there was probable cause to book Melvin on the following charges of criminal confinement, attempted burglary, intimidation, and domestic battery.
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.
