A Kingsport man has been charged with lying to police about an armed robbery on the Greenbelt — and how his girlfriend sustained injuries during the incident — in an attempt to cover up his own abuse of the victim.
Shawn Fletcher, 20, of 1010 Robertson St., has been arrested and booked into the city jail for filing a false police report and simple domestic assault. On Sunday his girlfriend was treated at a local hospital for injuries to her eye, with both her and Fletcher saying they were robbed while walking the Greenbelt.
According to their initial accounts to Kingsport police, a white male grabbed the female's purse. When Fletcher allegedly attempted to come to her aid the man displayed a gun and ran away.
KPD. Sgt. Chris Tincher says further investigation revealed Fletcher forced his girlfriend to go along with the robbery story, threatening her if she failed to do so. Police report the pair were on the recreational trail when an argument erupted, with Fletcher punching her in the face.
No charges have been filed against the female, who police say is being treated as the victim in the incident. Fletcher was previously arrested for domestic assault on Dec. 12. Tincher said that charge would have been dropped from his records, had he lasted a year with no additional violent charges.