An argument over infidelity led to the arrest of a 65-year-old Ocala man after he allegedly pointed a gun at his wife and struck her in the head with a weight.
A Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a local residence on Monday, October 7, in reference to an altercation involving a married couple. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with the female victim, and a “laceration” and “dried blood” were observed on top of her head, according to the arrest report.
The victim stated that the incident occurred on Saturday, October 5, shortly after her husband – identified in the report as Melvin Lee Humphrey – had accused her of cheating with another man.
After the victim denied the allegations, Humphrey allegedly “cornered her” in the bedroom before “shoving and hitting her around (her) neck,” according to the report.
The victim stated that she “pushed and scratched” Humphrey in an attempt to get away from him, and she grabbed a nearby weight to defend herself. She claimed that Humphrey also grabbed a weight, which he allegedly used to strike her in the head.
According to the victim’s statement, she fell to the floor after being struck by the weight. She advised that she did not contact law enforcement at the time of the incident because she was afraid of Humphrey.
The victim further alleged that prior to contacting law enforcement on October 7, she was arguing with Humphrey over infidelity when he “place(d) a black handgun on his side, clipped to (his) shorts.” She told the deputy that this caused her to retrieve her firearm.
During the verbal altercation on October 7, Humphrey allegedly pointed his firearm in the victim’s direction and threatened to “kill her.” The victim advised that she then pointed her firearm at Humphrey, and she believed that he was “capable of killing her” due to his “lengthy time served in the military.”
The report stated that the deputy made contact with Humphrey at the incident location. After being read his Miranda rights, Humphrey told the deputy that he had been “smoking cocaine” with the victim for the past few nights, and he admitted to arguing with the victim over cheating allegations.
During the post-Miranda interview, Humphrey claimed that the victim “tripped and fell into the weights,” which were leaning up against the wall at the time of the incident on October 5. The deputy noted that Humphrey admitted to having a “physical altercation” with the victim in their bedroom prior to the incident involving the weights.
Humphrey provided a cellphone video to the deputy, which was recorded shortly after the incident had taken place. The report stated that the video showed the victim sitting on the floor with “weights around her,” and blood was visible on her forehead. She was heard on the video asking Humphrey, “Why did you hit me on the head with the weight?”
When asked about the separate incident involving a firearm, Humphrey denied pointing his gun at the victim.
Humphrey was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail. He was released the following day after posting a $15,000 bond, and he is facing the following charges: assault with intent to commit a felony and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, November 12, according to jail records.
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Source: ocala-news
