GATE CITY — A Gate City man was arrested this week for allegedly assaulting his bedridden mother during a drunken birthday celebration at the family’s home.
Tracy Rogers, 34, 425 Red Hill Road, Gate City, was arrested by the Gate City Police Department Tuesday night on a single count of felony assault of a family member.
Authorities were alerted to the disturbance after someone in the home called Scott County Central Dispatch to report a possible domestic situation.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the front door of the home open and reportedly heard a woman screaming “Don’t hit me” as they approached.
While standing at the open door, officers allegedly saw Rogers twisting his invalid mother’s arm and immediately entered the house to take him into custody.
“Our officers did a good job of being on time and on the scene, and they prevented the lady from sustaining any serious injuries,” Gate City Police Chief Kim Birchfield said.
Authorities said the victim is disabled and was unable to defend herself from her son.
Rogers was described by authorities as being so intoxicated at the time of his arrest that he could “barely stand up.”
Officers said they were unsure what exactly triggered the altercation, which occurred while Rogers was celebrating his 34th birthday.
Scott County authorities said Rogers’ arrest was the latest in a string of domestic violence cases he has been involved with.
“He’s well known to law enforcement,” Birchfield said.
At the time of his arrest on Tuesday, Rogers was free on bond for a fourth count of assaulting a family member. That charge had stemmed from an altercation in July with his father.
Prior to that incident, Rogers had been convicted three separate times on charges of assaulting a family member. The first two charges were considered misdemeanors, while the third and subsequent counts are considered felonies.
Because of the extent and nature of his criminal history, the Scott County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said it would push for Rogers to be denied bond for his latest offense.
“We’re aware of his criminal past, and we’ll do everything we can to make sure he remains in jail,” Scott County Commonwealth’s Attorney Marcus McClung said.