Assault charge filed after ‘heated’ interaction with mom

James Benge, of Tecumseh, has been charged with felony domestic assault and misdemeanor harassment following an alleged physical altercation with his mother last month.

According to a probable cause statement prepared by Ozark County Deputy Josh Sherman, the pastor of Baptist Hill Church on County Road 595 in Caulfield contacted the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department on May 17 and reported that a church member wished to speak with deputies regarding a domestic incident.

Deputy Sherman met with the woman, who said the incident occurred around dinnertime on May 15. She reported that an argument with her son over bills and property escalated after he told her he did not want her on the property anymore, despite the property being in her name. The woman alleged that Benge grabbed her arms when she tried to get him to leave her alone. She said she grabbed his beard in response, and Benge then gripped her hands and arms while attempting to remove her as his wife tried to separate the two.

The woman became emotional during the interview, and Deputy Sherman reported observing bruises on her arms, hand and shoulder that appeared consistent with being grabbed.

Benge later told the deputy that he and his mother had been “getting on each other’s nerves” and that things “got a little heated.” He admitted he laid hands on his mother after she pulled his beard, according to the report.

Deputy Sherman determined Benge was the primary physical aggressor and placed him under arrest. A criminal summons has been issued, and Benge’s initial arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 14 in Ozark County court.