Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies arrest man for allegedly attacking his ex and holding her against her will
SMITHVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department arrested a man Monday after he allegedly attacked his ex and held her against her will.
“At some point in the night, it turned bad and was headed in a really bad direction,” Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook says. “Luckily, she was able to get a phone and get out of the house.”
Sheriff Crook says that’s how his deputies found a woman in need of medical attention on foot and on her own Sunday night.
“I can say there were bruises throughout her body,” he says.
Sheriff Crook says they got a 911 call from the woman Sunday night and found her in Smithville in the area of Parham Store and Firetower roads.
The sheriff says the victim drove to her ex’s home earlier Sunday evening but he allegedly slashed her tires and would not let her leave.
“Holding somebody against their will, or if you’re confining somebody into a space, or you’re tying them up, or you’re even just locking them in a room, you’re keeping them from leaving, that’s a kidnapping,” Sheriff Crook says.
The sheriff says that their SWAT team surrounded the home of Gregory Coker Jr. Monday morning.
“We also saw signs of children, toys and things in the yard,” he says. “We checked to make sure those kids were in school and that there weren’t any surprises in the house.”
He says they arrested Coker without incident but they says they found several shotguns, rifles, and pistols in his house and truck.
“I don’t know which or if any, of those weapons were used to threaten the victim or if they were used at all,” Sheriff Crook says. “We were just thankful that they weren’t used in the arrest.”
Sheriff Crook says that Coker is charged with Kidnapping, Felony Malicious Mischief, Obstructing Access to Emergency Assistance and Aggravated Domestic Violence.
Sheriff Crook says Coker had a misdemeanor domestic charge in 2017. The sheriff says that based on the woman’s condition, they charged Coker with Aggravated Domestic Violence, which involves life-threatening danger.
“Based off of the assessment of her physical situation, and then what the investigators were able to get as far as information on what had happened, that’s where the aggravated charge came from,” the sheriff says. “I can’t really get into the details of it.”
Sheriff Crook says that Coker is being held on a $175,000 bond and that this is an ongoing investigation. He also says that the victim has since been treated and released from the hospital.
