An off-duty Midland police officer rescued a female neighbor while her husband allegedly was attacking her late Tuesday night.
Ricky Jo Nelson, 33, of Midland, is being held on a $15,000 bond for a third-degree felony of assault against a family member by impeding her air passages.
The off-duty Midland police officer heard "screaming and sounds of things or persons being thrown around" from his residence on the 4400 block of Fairgate Drive late Tuesday night. He went to a neighbor's house to investigate the sounds. When he entered the home, announced he was a police officer and witnessed Nelson strangling his wife, according to Nelson' arrest report.
The officer then began to give Nelson commands to stop and get on the ground. The officer wrote in the arrest report that Nelson would not comply.
When back-up arrived, they saw the off-duty officer holding Nelson at gunpoint, continuing to give Nelson orders to comply. Despite other officers' arrival, Nelson continued to ignore orders and was eventually forcefully taken to the ground and arrested while other officers held him at gunpoint, according to the report.
The victim said her husband was pushing her around and began to choke her during an argument.
Nelson ultimately was arrested and transported to the Midland County Central Detention center after he began to verbally abuse his wife in front of officers while in handcuffs.
If he is convicted of the third-degree felony, he could serve up to 10 years in prison.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
