A 40-year-old Sanderson man was arrested in Marion County after he allegedly choked a female victim and punched her daughter.
On Monday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a local residence in reference to a battery incident. Upon arrival, a female victim told the deputy that she had been strangled by Coy Mervin Shumate.
The victim stated that she had recently reported Shumate for stalking. Despite the recent report, she informed the deputy that she picked up Shumate at another location and brought him to the residence where the incident occurred.
When the victim and Shumate were laying in bed, she stated that Shumate grabbed her cellphone and began looking at her Facebook profile. He allegedly became angry and accused her of talking to another individual.
Shumate allegedly poked the victim in her left eye and then climbed on top of her. She stated that Shumate proceeded to place both hands on her throat and he began to squeeze.
The victim advised that she felt on the verge of passing out. When she attempted to push Shumate away, she stated that she bumped into a hard object in the room which caused her right arm to bleed.
Around this time, the victim stated that her daughter entered the room and was holding a Taser. When Shumate saw the Taser, he allegedly approached the victim’s daughter and punched her in the head. The victim’s daughter told the deputy that the punch caused a painful lump on her head.
The victim and her daughter both managed to push Shumate outside of the residence and they locked the door. Shumate continued to bang on the back door as law enforcement arrived on scene, and he fled the area on foot.
According to the MCSO report, the victim’s neck was red and had visible bruising. Her right arm was bloody, and her right hand was swollen. The deputy was unable to observe the lump on the daughter’s head.
The victim claimed that Shumate had threatened to kill her multiple times in the past.
Shumate was later located by an MCSO corporal on NW 85th Street. He was heading eastbound on a bicycle, and the corporal stopped him at the intersection of NW 85th Street and NW 11th Terrace.
During a search of Shumate, a bag was located which contained a crystal-like substance which later field-tested positive for methamphetamine. A sharpie pen was also discovered with both ends cut, and it contained a white residue that also field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
The weight of the methamphetamine was four grams.
While Shumate admitted to the corporal that he had an issue with drugs, he denied ownership of the items that the corporal had located. The MCSO report did not indicate if Shumate made any further comments about the alleged battery incident.
Shumate was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held without bond. He is facing felony charges for domestic battery by strangulation and possession of a controlled substance, along with misdemeanor charges for battery and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.