An Oct. 1 incident involving a boyfriend and girlfriend and a tow truck driver who attempted to intervene in a dispute outside a Milam Road residence resulted in the boyfriend being arrested on charges of battery, assault and false imprisonment.
Joshua S. Moody, 22, was charged with two counts of simple battery-family violence, simple assault, false imprisonment and disorderly conduct, according to Fayette County Jail records.
The Oct. 1 incident occurred at the Kenwood Landing Mobile Home Park on Milam Road with deputies responding shortly after midnight.
Reports stated that a deputy first made contact with a man standing beside a tow truck with Moody standing nearby. Asked if he a weapon in his possession, Moody said he had a handgun on his person.
“I then advised (Moody) that I would hold onto the pistol during my investigation,” the deputy’s report said. “(Moody) began to yell toward (the tow truck driver) and stated that he was a ‘f-g MP’ (military police).”
Asked about the incident, Moody said he had been on the front porch of his residence when the tow truck driver arrived and confronted him by entering his property and told him to leave. Moody said he went into the house and returned with the handgun concealed on his person. Moody said he got the pistol because he had a right to defend his property with deadly force, stating again that he was a current U.S. Army military police officer and was dealing with the situation, the report said.
“(Moody) appeared extremely agitated upon arrival,” the deputy said. “I also smelled the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. (Moody) stated that he had consumed a six-pack of beer prior to the altercation.”
The tow truck driver said he was in the area to repossess a vehicle when he observed Moody and a female resident in an altercation.
“(The tow truck driver) said he could hear someone shouting and screaming loudly from the roadway while driving,” the report said. “(The tow truck driver) said he observed Moody striking the woman with his hands and then pinning her against the wooden rail on the porch. He could hear her screaming while Moody continued to shout, using profane-laced language.”
The tow truck driver told the deputy he exited his vehicle to try and break up the altercation. He also called 911, the deputy said in the report.
The driver said another man was also on the porch during the altercation, according to reports.
Moody told the deputy he had been involved in a verbal argument with the female, described as his girlfriend, who lived at the residence.
“(Moody) said that it was verbal only and was not physical,” the report said.
The tow truck driver said Moody chased him back to his vehicle and jumped on the truck at the driver’s side window and attempted to gain entry. The driver said Moody drew his arm back with a closed fist in an attempt to strike him. The driver then opened the door, knocking Moody off the vehicle. Moody left, then returned to the vehicle and confronted the driver again, said the report.
The deputy spoke with the female resident to get her side of the story. The female victim said she arrived home from work near midnight and saw Moody on the front porch drinking an alcoholic beverage. She said Moody began to verbally confront her about their relationship.
“(The female victim) stated that as she attempted to enter through the front door, Moody then got in front of her to keep her from leaving. She stated that Moody grabbed her several times while she attempted to get around him. She stated that Moody began to act in an abusive manner by shouting and using profane-laced language toward her. She stated that Moody backed her into a corner on the porch and would not allow her to leave. She stated that Moody slapped her several times in the head with an open hand. She said that he grabbed her by the neck with both is hands and pinned her back against the wooden railing on the porch, almost pushing her over,” the report said.
Hearing the woman screaming, a male roommate exited the house to see what was happening, the deputy said, adding that Moody began to argue with the man.
It was during the confrontation that the female victim said that Moody slammed the front screen/storm door on the her hand as she attempted to enter the residence, causing bleeding and swelling, the report said.
The female victim said it was at that point that the tow truck driver arrived, with Moody subsequently confronting him.
The female victim said she then entered the house to get her 1-year-old child and get away from Moody, the report said.
Moody was taken into custody. The female victim indicated later that she was treated for a fractured ring finger. She provided photographs and hospital documents, the report said.
