BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — A domestic fight in the middle of the road early Tuesday spiraled into a confrontation with Martin County Sheriff’s deputies, leaving two cruisers damaged and prompting multiple assault charges, officials said.
Deputy Jameson Wall responded to Little Laurel Creek in Inez around 1:40 a.m. after a caller reported a man and a woman fighting in the road. Upon arrival, he found Teresa Marcum, 46, of Ohio, sitting in the street “under the influence.”
As he approached, rustling in the nearby woods drew his attention. Shining his light, he saw a man, later identified as Crum Marcum, 48, of Inez, crouched in the weeds.
Mr. Marcum refused to come out, prompting Wall to turn back to Ms. Marcum. When she resisted being handcuffed and refused to enter the cruiser, Mr. Marcum emerged from the weeds, shouting objections to how she was being treated.
“He was about 10 feet from my cruiser,” Deputy Wall said. “He said he’d drunk a bottle of liquor and was ‘ready to go.’”
As Wall attempted to call for backup, Mr. Marcum moved closer, fists clenched, and taunted the deputy, “Come on, big boy. Try to put handcuffs on me.” When the officer attempted to detain him, Mr. Marcum allegedly slapped him in the head.
Wall used his Taser in “dry-stun” mode, after which Mr. Marcum fell headfirst into the cruiser bumper, sustaining what the deputy described as minor forehead injuries.
By the time the deputy secured Mr. Marcum in the back seat, Ms. Marcum had exited the cruiser and was “stumbling down the road.” Deputy Steven Putman arrived and took her into custody.
The fight was far from over, both deputies reported, as the Marcums continued to resist after being restrained.
Deputies said Mr. Marcum banged his head against the cage, kicked the window hard enough to damage a cruiser door, and threatened deputies and their families.
Ms. Marcum allegedly kicked doors, windows and the cage inside the cruiser during transport and continued shouting threats in the booking room.
EMS personnel transported Mr. Marcum to a hospital before a deputy took him to jail. He faces charges of third-degree assault of a police officer, fourth-degree assault (domestic violence) causing minor injury, resisting arrest, first-degree criminal mischief-restitution/repair, first-degree disorderly conduct and violation of a Kentucky EPO/DVO.
Ms. Marcum went directly into jail. She faces charges of fourth-degree assault (domestic violence) causing minor injury, resisting arrest, first-degree criminal mischief-restitution/repair and alcohol intoxication in a public place.
