Police: Towamencin man attacked wife, then family dog attacked him

PENNSYLVANIA -- A Towamencin man was arraigned Monday morning on assault and related charges after police said he allegedly attacked his wife on Sunday evening, then purportedly grabbed a knife and threatened to kill the family dog after the dog came to the woman’s defense and bit him.

Robert Lyle Turner, 37, of the 1500 block of West Main Street, faces a second-degree simple assault charge and two counts of summary harassment in connection with the alleged April 26 incident.

Lansdale District Judge Harold Borek set Turner’s bail at 10 percent of $10,000 at the arraignment.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed in district court, Towamencin police were summoned to Turner’s residence around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday for a reported domestic disturbance involving Turner and his wife — police said they were informed by the caller that the family dog had bit Turner after he hit his wife.

Upon arrival, police found Turner with puncture wounds to his left forearm and left knee that resulted from the dog’s attack, and officers spoke to his wife, who was visibly upset and had a fresh scratch on her arm that was bleeding slightly, according to the affidavit.

The woman told police that she had asked for a cigarette from Turner when he got upset and said “it was going to be a bad week,” then allegedly kicked her, pulled her hair and scratched her arm, the affidavit indicates.

The woman said she pushed Turner away because she was afraid she was going to be hit again, and then the dog began to attack Turner, according to the affidavit.

Several witnesses who were inside the residence corroborated the woman’s account of the incident and said that Turner picked up a knife, threatened to kill the dog, threw the dog out of the house and then deliberately kicked one of his wife’s friends in the knee and threatened to pick her up and throw her out of the house as well, the affidavit states.

Police said they observed redness to the wife’s friend’s knee.

According to the affidavit, Turner told police that he and his wife were arguing in the dining room when he put his hand in her face, leading to the dog attacking him and knocking him over — he said he kicked the dog, and his wife started yelling at him for doing so, and then the dog bit him again and wouldn’t let go so he grabbed his wife by the hair and pulled her in between him and the dog until the dog let go.

Turner was taken into custody, and he provided a written statement about the incident in which he denied ever picking up the knife, and stated that he may have “inadvertently” kicked his wife’s friend in the knee during the melee with the dog and his wife, the affidavit indicates.

Turner admitted that he threatened to throw his wife’s friend out of the house, but said that he didn’t mean it “in a physical way,” police said.

A preliminary hearing before Borek is scheduled for May 12.

Police did not specify the breed of the family dog.

(The Reporter - Apr 27, 2015)