WICKLIFFE, Ohio — A 47-year-old Wickliffe man was arrested on a felony domestic violence charge over the weekend after he allegedly struck his girlfriend during an argument and was later shot when he tried to prevent her from leaving their home.
It happened around 5 a.m. Saturday at a home on Enid Road.
According to police, the woman returned home earlier that morning and was met by her boyfriend who confronted her about an argument they had before she left.
During the argument, the man allegedly struck the woman "numerous times in the head and face," police said.
"The female retreated to her bedroom and retrieved a pistol to protect herself, as she was going to attempt to leave through the front door," police said.
When she tried to leave, the man attempted to stop her, police said. The woman pulled the gun out of her coat pocket, pointed it at the man and fired. The man grabbed the gun and was shot in the hand and upper arm.
The woman then ran outside and yelled for help. Nearby neighbors heard her and called police. When officers arrived, they found the woman outside and the man bleeding in the front yard. Police found the gun in the snow in the front yard.
The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and later arrested. Police said the man is charged with domestic violence, a third-degree felony, for having a prior record of domestic violence charges. Following his arrest, the man was transported to a Lake County Jail and held in lieu of a $100,000 bond
Police said the woman has not been charged with a crime in connection with the shooting.
Domestic violence in Ohio
Statewide, 131 people died from domestic violence in Ohio between June 30, 2020 and June 2021, a 20% increase in fatalities over the same time the previous yearlong period, and a 62% increase over the same time two years ago, according to the Ohio Domestic Violence Network.
In Wickliffe, 28 domestic violence charges were handed out in 2020, compared to 44 in 2019 and 34 in 2018, according to the office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
RELATED: Domestic violence numbers higher now than in early months of pandemic
Stand Your Ground law
Last year, Ohio passed its own "Stand Your Ground" law that eliminated the requirement for someone to retreat before firing a weapon in self-defense.
The law not only expands where the castle doctrine applies, it also changes the way Stand Your Ground cases are handled in court. Previously, the defense had to prove someone was acting in self-defense. Now, it's up to the state to prove that it wasn't.
Gov. Mike DeWine signed the bill stating, "I have always believed that it is vital that law-abiding citizens have the right to legally protect themselves when confronted with a life-threatening situation."
RELATED:
Ohio's 'stand your ground' law takes effect
Expanded 'Stand Your Ground' law taking effect places burden on state to disprove self-defense
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