By Emily Burton
Register News Writer
RICHMOND —
A situation that police said could easily have spiraled out of control was kept calm by the cooperation of multiple law enforcement agencies, said Nelson O’Donnell, Madison County Sheriff.
At about 11:06 a.m. Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies received a call that a woman had been assaulted and then forcibly detained at a home in the 100 block of Taylors Fork Road.
John E. Friend, 43, had allegedly assaulted the woman with a pistol. She was able to escape the home and called police from a nearby residence.
O’Donnell said that when deputies arrived, the woman told them Friend was in a bad emotional state, he was an ex-Marine and that he had an unknown number of handguns and 15 long guns in the residence.
The road to the residence is one-way, and presented a tactical challenge, O’Donnell said.
“To avoid injury to officers and the suspect, we felt it necessary to contact the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team,” he said.
The KSP officers went to a wooded area and “came down” on the residence. Friend came outside and was arrested without incident at about 3:30 p.m., O’Donnell said.
“It was not a standoff, but we conducted it that way,” he said. Had caution not been used, the situation could have resulted in injuries or deaths to the deputies or suspect, O’Donnell said.
“We felt for the safety of all and the suspect, it was best to contact the Special Response Team,” he said.
A search warrant was executed to recover the pistol allegedly used in the assault and to confiscate the other weapons in the home, he said.
Friend is charged with second-degree assault, a Class C felony, and first-degree unlawful imprisonment, a Class D felony.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
Friend is free on bond.
The woman suffered bruises and was treated at Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center and released.
Emily Burton may be reached at eburton@
richmondregister.com or at 624-6694. Follow Emily on Twitter at RR_EBurton@ twitter.com
