A Baxter County man was arrested last Sunday after authorities responding to a welfare check found his 67-year-old father suffering from severe facial injuries at a residence on County Road 900. 38-year-old Darrell “Shane” Smith faces a charge of third degree battery.
A licensed practical nurse with Heart Senior Care requested the welfare check after reporting the elderly man had two black eyes following an altercation with one of his sons. The victim, who suffers from COPD and requires 24-hour oxygen, was described as being in poor health.
When a deputy arrived at the home, contact was made with Smith at the front door of the camper residence. The deputy then located the father inside and observed extensive swelling to his face, both eyes blackened, the left eye protruding and red in color, and dried blood on his nose, lips, chin and shirt.
The victim repeatedly stated he had fallen and declined medical treatment despite concerns about possible vision loss. Baxter Health personnel were called to the scene and also urged him to seek hospital care, which he refused.
While deputies were on scene, a home health worker arrived and shared text messages from the victim’s other son indicating that Smith had punched both him and their father during a dispute the previous evening.
The second son told authorities Smith became angry during a verbal argument around 6 that evening and punched him multiple times, causing his lip to swell and split open. He said he left the residence to de-escalate the situation and returned about an hour later to find his father with both eyes swollen shut and turning black.
He told deputies he feared for his safety and his father’s safety and said prior altercations had occurred.
When questioned, Smith claimed he did not remember what happened. Due to the visible injuries to both the father and brother, deputies placed him under arrest and transported him to the Baxter County Detention Center.
Investigators were consulted regarding possible elder abuse charges. However, because the victim maintained he fell and did not accuse his son of assault, authorities advised pursuing a domestic battery charge related to the brother’s injuries.
Smith is being held in the Baxter County Detention Center with bond set at $515.
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