A Bull Shoals man, 33-year-old James McDaniel, has been sentenced to seven years supervised probation following an incident in September 2017 when he placed his mother in a chokehold and with his knees to her back grabbed a knife, held it to her neck and repeatedly said he could slit her throat.
According to the plea statement made available Thursday, McDaniel pleaded guilty Wednesday in Marion County Circuit Court to felony counts of terroristic threatening and aggravated assault, as well as a domestic battery misdemeanor. Under the terms of the negotiated plea, McDaniel was also ordered to pay $5,550 in fines, fees, and court costs. He will also undergo a screening for anger management and alcohol and drug abuse and comply with the recommendations from the tests. In addition, the Bull Shoals man was ordered to have no contact of any sort with his mother, the victim, unless she requests through a notarized statement for the requirement to be dropped and the court approves the request.
According to the probable cause affidavit of arrest, the incident leading to the sentencing occurred when McDaniel returned to the home along Blue Bonnet in Bull Shoals he shared with his mother. He was reportedly visibly intoxicated and saying he was going to kill some people he had met at a local restaurant.
At this point, his mother fearing for her safety, attempted to call 911. McDaniel allegedly took the phone from her, put her in a chokehold taking her to the floor, bouncing her off furniture in the process. He then pinned her to the floor and held a knife to her neck.
McDaniel’s mother was successful in talking her son into putting the knife away, allowing her to break loose from his stranglehold and leave the residence. Returning to the residence later in the day and seeing her son at a glass door, she called 911.
When officers responded to the scene, McDaniel was taken into custody without incident, but with a hunting knife in his left back pocket.
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