Photo: Chad Merriman
A Norfork man who violated an order of protection taken out by his estranged wife and escalated his problems by fighting with deputies attempting to arrest him was in Baxter County Circuit Court last Thursday.
Forty-Four-year-old Chad Merriman was in court to face the possible revocation of his probation handed down in the 2017 case.
Merriman’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Mark Cooper, said his client had asked to be put in a rehabilitation facility where his drug addiction could be treated.
Cooper said Merriman’s “addiction issues” were the root cause of his trouble with the law.
Prosecuting Attorney David Ethredge said he was “all for someone going into rehab,” but told Circuit Judge Gordon Webb that Merriman “is not an appropriate person for rehab.”
The state objected to the request, and Judge Webb said he would not approve it, “at this time.”
According to the probable cause affidavit filed in the earlier case, deputies went to the estranged wife’s home in the early morning hours of June 27, 2017 to check on an “open line 911 call.”
Based on a number of prior calls from the address, the deputies believed Merriman was already in his estranged wife’s residence, or trying to make an unwanted entry into the home.
When the deputies arrived, the wife told them Merriman was inside asleep and which room he was in.
As the deputies stood near him, Merriman awoke. He was told he was under arrest and to put his hands behind his back.
Merriman would not comply. Pepper spray was deployed hitting Merriman on the forehead. He still refused to follow commands, and he was again hit with pepper spray.
Merriman swung at one of the deputies but missed. One deputy saw Merriman grab at the duty belt of a fellow deputy and beat Merriman on the arms with his flashlight to dislodge his grip.
The deputies were eventually able to get handcuffs on Merriman, and he was taken to the county jail.
After reaching the jail, Merriman was put into a shower to get rid of the pepper spray.
When Merriman was searched prior to entering the shower room, a deputy found a black bag inside his sock. Inside the bag were seven syringes and a spoon containing suspected methamphetamine.
On May 31, 2018, Merriman was convicted of third-degree battery, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest. He was placed on probation for five years. A petition to revoke that sentence was filed in early January.
It was alleged Merriman had violated his probation in a number of ways, including possessing drug paraphernalia, no longer living at his listed residence and failing to report on several occasions.
A hearing on the revocation petition is set for Sept. 24.
In addition, Merriman still has an open drug-related case in Izard County Circuit Court. He is due to appear for a pre-trial hearing in that court on Nov. 17.
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