LOGAN — A 65-year-old Logan man faces multiple felony charges after authorities say he repeatedly strangled his intimate partner and threatened to kill her during an early morning dispute on Valentine’s Day.
Brian Lloyd Smith was arrested after Logan City police officers responded to a report of a physical domestic dispute. Upon arrival, the arresting officer observed Smith with slurred speech, a flushed face, and red, glossy eyes.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the alleged victim told police Smith had consumed approximately two pints of vodka and became upset over a Valentine’s Day gesture. Smith allegedly called the victim into his separate bedroom, grabbed her neck with both hands, and constricted her airways. During the altercation, he also damaged a bedroom door in their shared home.
The assault escalated when Smith allegedly manipulated the victim’s right arm backward, causing her significant pain and a suspected fracture. He then tossed her onto the bed and sat on her chest. The victim reported this deflated her lungs and caused severe pain, leading to suspicions of fractured ribs. When she reached for her cell phone to call 911, Smith threw the device across the room, stating he would not allow her to call the police because he did not want to return to jail.
The affidavit states Smith then pressed his forearm against her neck, telling her he was going to kill her. The alleged victim noted his pupils dilated and his eyes appeared black. Fearing for her life and seeing “flutters in her eyes,” she bit and scratched him in self-defense.
She attempted to escape by kicking out a window screen, but Smith grabbed her, threw her into a closet, and strangled her again. The throw broke an antique lamp. After Smith threw his vodka bottle on her, the victim managed to crawl out of the room and run to a neighbor’s house for help.
Emergency medical services transported the victim to the hospital. The arresting officer noted linear red marks on her neck and redness on her arms.
Smith was charged in Logan’s 1st District Court with aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony; four counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; along with misdemeanors for property destruction, damaging a communication device, and public intoxication. The charges were enhanced due to a 25-year history of domestic violence convictions involving the same victim. He is being held in jail without bail and is scheduled to appear again in court march 2.
If you or someone you know is going through abuse, help is available. CAPSA is a nonprofit domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking support center serving Cache, Rich, and Franklin Counties. CAPSA’s 24-hour support phone line is 435-753-2500. For more information visit: www.capsa.org. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.