Police say couple's fight over cell phone contents lead to standoff

Smith/ Vigo Co. Jail

By Lucy Perry
Indiana Central News

A couple's argument about cell phone contents became heated enough to result in a police standoff last night in Terre Haute, according to police.

Jerry C. Smith, 26, was arrested after last night’s incident on S. 14th Street. Smith is charged with strangulation and domestic battery. According to the Terre Haute Police Department, he also had two warrants out of another county.

Smith was booked into the Vigo County Jail around midnight, after the Terre Haute Police Department Special Response Team swarmed the neighborhood around his home in the 400 block.

According to the probable cause affidavit, filed by Cpl. T. Gilbert, of the THPD, officers responded to the residence just south of Poplar Street on a domestic battery call around 7 p.m. A man was reportedly inside the house with a possible gunshot wound and in possession of multiple weapons.

Officers surrounded the residence and blocked off traffic to several streets in the area, including a section of Poplar Street. After communicating with a female victim in the home, she was able to escape and was taken into custody for questioning.

The victim reported that the suspect became angry with the woman about something on her cell phone. He allegedly approached her in the bathroom the previous night and head butted her several times, according to the report.

"As she walked out of the bathroom, she was shoved to the ground by the defendant. while on the ground the defendant head butted [her] several more times, then grabbed her by the throat squeezing pressure until she began to black out. [She] came to with the defendant slapping her face in an attempt to get her awake." the documents state.

Investigation revealed the man did not suffer any injuries from a weapon.

Smith allegedly fired shots through his coat after the ordeal in order to gain attention from the victim, officials say, with no injuries to him noted.
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