BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Beckley man is facing multiple charges after police say he assaulted a woman during a domestic dispute before attempting to flee from officers and hide in a backyard bush.
According to the Beckley Police Department, officers responded on June 15 to the area of Odessa Avenue and Forrest Avenue following reports that a man was striking a woman.
Emergency dispatchers advised officers that a Black male with braids had been seen assaulting a woman before the pair walked toward Forrest Avenue.
The first officer to arrive spotted the man and woman walking in the 100 block of Forrest Avenue. Police identified the suspect as Reginald Gates.
According to officers, Gates immediately began walking away upon seeing the patrol car and entered the yard of a nearby residence. Despite commands to stop, Gates allegedly ran around the side of the home and hid in a bush in the backyard.
Police said Gates refused repeated commands to place his hands behind his back until an officer displayed a Taser. Gates then complied and was taken into custody without further incident.
Officers said the victim had multiple cuts on her right hand that were bleeding, along with a cut on her left ear. She also complained of head pain.
According to the victim, Gates wanted her to return to Alabama with him on a Greyhound bus that night, but she refused. She told police she attempted to walk away when Gates allegedly began striking her in the head, grabbed her purse, and dragged her before eventually letting go.
While processing Gates, officers reviewed his criminal history and found a prior domestic violence conviction in Coweta County, Georgia. Court records showed he was convicted of first-offense family violence battery on Aug. 14, 2023.
Gates has been charged with second-offense domestic battery and fleeing on foot.
The incident remains under investigation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
