A Morton man was arrested Sunday after he allegedly assaulted his partner in an alley.
Issac Hiatt, 24, faces one count each of second-degree assault and fourth-degree assault, both considered domestic violence offenses.
Hiatt made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday. A court commissioner set bail at $25,000 cash or bond and issued a pretrial no-contact order on behalf of the alleged victim.
According to a probable cause affidavit, a Morton police officer began investigating after she was “flagged down” by a man who said he’d heard someone screaming for help in an alley.
The officer went to the alley and saw Hiatt kneeling next to a woman lying on her back on the ground. The officer was reportedly unsure whether Hiatt — who allegedly had his hand by the woman’s neck — was trying to help the woman or assault her.
According to the affidavit, the officer spoke with the woman, who appeared “out of breath.”
The woman reportedly said she and Hiatt had been drinking at a friend’s house before she decided to leave. She said she was walking when someone came from behind, “shoved her to the ground” and choked her.
Hiatt allegedly told the officer that the woman has mental health issues and suffers from panic attacks.
The woman and Hiatt were then interviewed separately. Both denied Hiatt had assaulted her.
When the officer dropped the woman off at her requested location, she reportedly could hear the woman and Hiatt arguing inside a tent.
According to the affidavit, the officer reportedly heard the woman saying, “You're the one who stomped on me and kicked me.”
The officer eventually called for backup to help separate the two.
In a second interview, the woman reportedly told police that “Hiatt had pushed her to the ground and placed his hands on her neck,” according to the affidavit.
The officer reportedly saw redness on the woman’s neck and a “skinned knee.” Police arrested Hiatt. The woman, however, refused to give a recorded statement.
During his preliminary appearance, Hiatt told the court that he and the woman had “never hurt each other.”
Hiatt’s criminal history includes convictions for theft, cyberstalking, animal cruelty, assault, attempting to elude, and other offenses, according to the affidavit.
He is scheduled for an arraignment on Thursday.
