Boggs arrested on domestic violence charges

Published 10:09 am Thursday, November 5, 2015

Lawrence County Commissioner Les Boggs was arrested Wednesday night on a charge of domestic violence, the second time in two years.

The alleged assault was against a woman who was at Boggs’ residence and happened at approximately 10:40 p.m. following an argument between the two after the woman had found messages that Boggs had sent others.

“At which point the suspect grabbed her by the arm, squeezed it and pushed her onto the bed,” Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless said. “While the suspect was holding her down, the suspect attempted to choke her.”

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The victim then reported in her complaint that Boggs allegedly backhanded her in the face. She asked for her phone, which Boggs allegedly refused to give her and then threw it into a pond in the front of the house.

The victim went to a gas station to call the sheriff’s office to make the complaint. Sheriff’s deputies went to Boggs’ residence where he was arrested without incident on charges of domestic violence and disrupting public service.

He was booked in at 12:15 a.m. and released on bond at 1:15 a.m. Since prosecuting attorney Brigham Anderson represents the commissioners, a special prosecutor will have to be appointed. The domestic violence is a first degree misdemeanor and the disrupting public service is a fourth degree felony.

In January 2013 Boggs was arrested on the same charges following an incident with his estranged wife, who later withdrew the complaint.

Calls made to Boggs were unreturned. His attorney Scott Evans had no comment. Boggs will be arraigned on Thursday in Ironton Municipal Court.