Mississippi lawmaker accused of punching his wife slams 'misrepresentations' of incident, doesn't apologize
A Mississippi lawmaker who was earlier arrested and is facing a domestic violence charge for allegedly punching his wife and bloodying her nose because she didn't undress fast enough when he wanted sex has issued a joint statement with her addressing the incident. State Rep. Doug McLeod however did not apologize.
In the statement, which was obtained by George County Times Online, McLeod termed the reports published on the incident in the media and social media outlets as "fabrications" and "misrepresentations," and said he would "reserve addressing these until after the process is complete."
We previously reported that deputies had visited the residence of the 58-year-old state rep shortly before 9 pm on Saturday, May 18, on reports of a domestic assault and found him intoxicated.
They stated in an investigative report filed with the George County Sheriff's Department that he had "slurred speech and walked slowly in a zigzag pattern" and that he was so inebriated, he had to grab a handrail to maintain his balance.
The deputies said when they went inside the house, they saw two women standing at the top of a stairwell who looked "frightened" and that his wife, Michele, only came outside after receiving assurances that her husband would not be allowed near her.
She was described as being "shaking and upset," and reportedly told the officers that McLeod was drunk and had "just snapped" when she did not take off her clothes quickly enough, adding that he often lost his temper when under the influence of alcohol.
The other woman, who also lived at the home, said Michele had come running to her room with her face bloodied and that the state rep had begun banging on the door and threatened her by telling her that, if she didn't open it, he would "kill her (expletive) dog."
The deputies themselves reportedly found evidence that corroborated those claims during an investigation of the home, including blood on the couple's bed and on the floor in the same room, and took McLeod into custody on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence.
But in the recently released statement, Michele, surprisingly, defended her husband as well. "We have been married for 35 years, and our love and appreciation for each other have seen us through the good and bad times," she wrote.
She said that "the taking of things out of context has been surprising" and that she and her husband are "not the people who have been displayed" in the media. "While Doug nor I claim to be perfect, the twisting of information has misrepresented me and the truth," she insisted, adding that they "refuse to feed into the frenzy that has been initiated by the misleading reporting being done."
McLeod was initially booked into the George County Jail but was later released after posting a $1,000 signature bond.
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