A Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department deputy was assaulted while responding to a domestic dispute over the weekend.
Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said the call came in to the department at about 10:15 p.m. about an assault taking place at 24 Mint Street, located outside of Picayune.
The deputy responded and came into contact with a female at the home who had visible marks and abrasions consistent with physical abuse, Tucker said.
Due to that evidence, the deputy spoke with 40-year-old Louis Charles Lepine Jr., and attempted to place him into custody. Tucker said that at that time Lepine became combative, turning on the deputy and knocking him to the ground underneath the patrol vehicle and punching him in the face and head about six to eight times. During Lepine’s assault on the deputy, the victim of the initial assault grabbed Lepine, allowing the deputy to regain his footing, Tucker said.
The deputy then got Lepine to the ground and handcuffed him, before having to drag the suspect to his patrol vehicle. Tucker said that once the deputy secured Lepine in the back of the cruiser, he became combative once again, beating on the cage, window and eventually breaking out the back window. Lepine was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct, simple assault domestic violence and resisting arrest, Tucker said.
The deputy went to Highland Community Hospital where he received treatment for abrasions and contusions to his head and face before being released.