Roland man charged with child abuse

A Roland man is facing a felony count of child abuse and a criminal misdemeanor count of domestic abuse-assault and battery after he reportedly hit a family member and then reportedly strangled a minor child under the age of 10.

Derek S. Coughran, 35, was charged Aug. 3 in Sequoyah County District Court and received a $15,000 bond. He is now scheduled for an Oct. 5 felony disposition docket before Associate District Judge Kyle Waters.

Roland Police officer Brandon Luper reported Coughran unlawfully assaulted and battered a family member and a child under the age of 10 on July 30 at a residence on Roland Road. A neighboring residence alerted police just before midnight when they reportedly heard screaming and yelling outside the residence, according to the probable cause affidavit.

When Luper and Officer Justin Deuley arrived they were reportedly met by two minors who said they allegedly saw Coughran hit a family member, knocking their eyeglasses off. Police reported finding a pair of eyeglasses on the ground.

One of the minors also said that Coughran had strangled the other minor. The minor held their hands up and showed police how Coughran had strangled them, and then pulled up their shirt and showed the officers their neck, while describing the incident.

The family member told police Coughran had hit them and then shoved them down, but they didn‚t know what his motive was. The family member said they suspected he got mad because the minors had woken him up. The family member said they believed Coughran assaulted them because they were trying to stop him from battering the minor, according to the affidavit.

Police searched the residence trying to find Coughran but believed he fled the residence prior to their arrival.

Luper reported the incident to Department of Human Services and waited at the residence while interviews were conducted and DHS arranged for the minors to be placed with a family member.

Coughran was never reportedly located by police.

District Attorney Jack Thorp said if found guilty of child abuse, the crime is punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections not exceeding life imprisonment, or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $5,000 or both fine and imprisonment.