Deputies Say Man Choked Woman, Smashed Her Car and Threatened to Burn Down Two Homes
TROY, Mo. — A woman was found shaking, crying and struggling to breathe after a reported domestic assault at a Troy residence, where deputies documented injuries to her face and neck and extensive damage to her vehicle.
James Bryan Hurst now faces two felony domestic assault charges stemming from the Oct. 2 incident. He is accused of choking the woman, throwing her against a garage wall and repeatedly throwing her to the ground.
“He’s going to say it’s my fault. I’m scared,” the woman told a deputy after officers arrived.
James Bryan Hurst, Troy, Mo.
CHARGES
Domestic assault in the second degree — Class D felony
Domestic assault in the third degree — Class E felony
Deputies were called to the residence shortly before 1:30 a.m. for a reported domestic assault. Hurst was found outside, ordered to the ground and placed in handcuffs.
The woman was located nearby inside a vehicle with scratches across its front, a broken driver-side mirror and a shattered windshield.
“He just shattered my windshield,” she told a deputy. “I just want my stuff.”
The woman said Hurst had thrown her to the ground and prevented her from reaching the vehicle so she could leave.
Inside the residence, she showed deputies the detached garage where the alleged assault began. She said Hurst threw her against the wall before throwing her to the ground multiple times.
Hurst allegedly grabbed the woman by her hair, placed his hands around her neck and covered her mouth. She also described him grabbing her face and forcefully squeezing her mouth and cheeks.
A deputy documented faint red marks along the right side of the woman’s face and neck. She reported pain in her elbow but declined medical treatment.
While deputies helped her collect her belongings, the woman described threats that allegedly followed previous attempts to leave Hurst.
“He threatened me in the past that he would burn my house down if I ever left him, and he would burn my parents’ house down,” she said.
The woman also told deputies Hurst monitored her location and saved screenshots showing where she went.
“I am scared,” she said. “He scares me.”
The woman declined to complete a written statement or request charges. Hurst was transported to the Lincoln County Jail for booking and processing.
The case remains pending in Lincoln County Associate Circuit Court.
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