Matthew Sterling Nethery, 24, of Sallisaw was charged Tuesday with domestic assault and battery by strangulation stemming from a Jan. 28 incident.
Sallisaw police responded to a domestic disturbance in progress at Stirrup Creek Apartments, in which a neighbor called police and said the victim possibly had a broken nose, according to court charges.
Police spoke with a neighbor, who said that the victim came to her apartment and asked her to call the police because her live-in boyfriend punched her in the nose. The victim told police that she and Nethery had been living together for over a year and have a 5-month-old child together.
The victim told police that the fight started after she asked Nethery to buy a pack of cigarettes and Nethery refused. The victim said Nethery threw a television remote control down the hallway and she asked him to stop throwing things. She allegedly threatened to take the baby and leave if he didn't stop.
The victim reported that she walked to the staircase and was about halfway to the second floor, where the baby was, when Nethery tried to pull her down the stairs. Nethery allegedly went upstairs and the victim went downstairs. Angry, the victim grabbed a fork and started back up the stairs when she realized "she shouldn't do that" so she threw the fork downstairs, the victim told police.
They were both in the baby's room when Nethery allegedly came toward her and put her in a headlock and punched her in the nose. The victim said Nethery kept her in a headlock until she couldn't breath and they fell to the floor. The victim said Nethery finally let her go and she ran next door to call police.
Nethery admitted to hitting the woman in the nose and probably breaking it. Nethery claimed he hit her in self-defense after the victim "came at him with a fork."
