SALINE CO.— On May 7 Deputy Mike Gooch had the unenviable task of wading into one of the wilder domestic situations thus far this year.
Gooch was dispatched to 205 Goolsby Rd., Eldorado, at about 7:34 p.m.
As he approached the house he spotted Sylvia Hope Mitchell, 35, who lived at the address, walking on the side of the road waving her hands trying to get his attention.
While holding her eye she told Gooch that she and her boyfriend, 40-year-old Clay Ross Mattingly, had been in an argument, that he had punched her in the eye and head but that she did not want charges pressed.
She also informed Gooch that Mattingly had been drinking and was still inside the house.
Sticking with the theme of the evening
Gooch found Mattingly standing outside holding an alcoholic beverage.
He told Mitchell to stay where she was near the road so he could talk with Mattingly.
As he did he noticed that Mattingly had scratches on his face and chest.
Before Dep. Gooch could even say anything, Mattingly started yelling, “Arrest that needle pumping whore, she’s crazy!”
When Gooch asked Mattingly what was going on he yelled, “she’s f*cking crazy! She has been shooting up and she’s f*cking nuts! Arrest both of us and I’ll bond out!”
When the deputy asked him how he got the scratches, Mattingly stuck with what seemed like his theme for the evening and yelled, “because she’s a needle pumping drug taking whore and she’s nuts!”
Butts in
And that’s about the time Mitchell, disobeying Gooch’s order to stay where she was, waltzed up from behind him and started screeching about how Mattingly held her down and was beating on her and that she had scratched his face in an attempt to get him off her.
Be that as it may, Dep. Gooch informed Ms. Mitchell that she needed to go back up the road and stay there until he came to speak with her.
When Gooch informed Mattingly that he intended to take them both into custody, Mattingly said that was fine with him and asked if he could go inside and put on a shirt.
Gooch followed Mattingly into the house to retrieve a shirt.
Not a happy camper
When the men came into the living room after getting the shirt, Mitchell waltzed in and sat down.
“You lying f*cking piece of sh*t!” Mattingly yelled at Gooch.
“Clay continued yelling and screaming curse words at me because [seeing Mitchell] he didn’t believe I was going to take her into custody,” Gooch said.
Mattingly threatened to call the police on Deputy Gooch, who then ordered him to place his hands behind his back.
A scuffle ensued that went on for a good period of time, ending with Dep. Gooch grabbing Mattingly by his legs and tossing him into the rear of his police cruiser.
When he went back into the house Mitchell, who up until now Gooch couldn’t seem to get rid of while he spoke with Mattingly, was nowhere to be found.
Backup arrived on scene shortly thereafter and Mitchell was found a few houses down the street, hiding in the bushes.
When asked why she ran and hid, she responded, “Because I am afraid of going to jail.”
Overcoming your fears
Ms. Mitchell was given an opportunity to overcome her fear when she was booked into the county detention center on a charge of Domestic Battery.
Mitchell was convicted in 2001 of Domestic Battery and Battery for which she was sentenced to 18 months probation.
In 2009 she was convicted of DUI Drugs and sentenced to 12 months court supervision.
Then on May 18, 2010 she was convicted of the same thing and sentenced to 12 months probation.
Mitchell was released from police custody the next day after a $500 cash bond was posted on her behalf by Fred Melton, of Equality.
Thus far no formal charges have surfaced on Mr. Mattingly.