LEWIS COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Lewis County woman is facing criminal allegations after a man told deputies she attacked him with a piece of firewood while he was sleeping, leaving him with significant facial injuries that required hospital treatment.
According to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched around 2:27 a.m. on Sunday, July 26, after receiving a report of a domestic incident at a residence on Big Run Road in Walkersville.
The caller, identified as Heather Pritt, told Lewis-Gilmer E-911 Communications that her brother, Shannon Pritt, had been assaulted by Tammy Haggerty and needed emergency medical treatment. She initially reported that Haggerty had beaten him with a shoe and said she believed he had suffered two broken jaw bones. Shannon Pritt was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon for treatment.
While receiving medical care, Shannon Pritt spoke with a deputy by phone and said Haggerty had struck him multiple times in the face. He told investigators he believed he had suffered broken facial bones and wanted to pursue criminal charges. He and his stepfather later provided deputies with photographs documenting his injuries.
During the conversation, Pritt told investigators he feared for his life and believed Haggerty had been trying to kill him.
On July 30, Pritt met with deputies at the Lewis County Judicial Annex for a recorded interview, where he provided additional details about the alleged assault.
According to Pritt, Haggerty had been staying at his Big Run Road residence and had spent much of Saturday, July 25, there, leaving and returning several times throughout the day. He said that after returning that evening, Haggerty consumed alcoholic beverages, including Bootlegger and Twisted Tea.
Pritt told investigators the situation escalated after Haggerty discovered he had been exchanging text messages with another woman, identified as Sarah Hefner, who he said was Haggerty’s neighbor. He said she became increasingly argumentative throughout the evening before the two eventually went to bed.
Pritt said he fell asleep around 11:30 p.m. but awoke around 1:30 a.m. to Haggerty repeatedly striking him in the face with what he described as a piece of firewood measuring approximately 20 inches to 2 feet long.
He told deputies the blows caused him to see “three white flashes.” After getting to his feet, he allegedly found Haggerty standing naked inside the residence. Pritt said she fled the home while still naked, taking the piece of firewood with her.
Investigators said Pritt told them no one else was inside the residence at the time of the alleged assault. Afterward, he contacted two acquaintances, who advised him to seek immediate medical attention. His stepfather then drove him to St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Pritt told investigators he and Haggerty were not in a dating relationship but described them as sexual partners. He said he believed jealousy over his text conversations with another woman motivated the alleged attack. He also stated that alcohol was involved but denied that any narcotics had been used.
After reviewing photographs of Pritt’s injuries, the investigating deputy reported observing significant swelling around both eyes, his jaw, and nose, along with a laceration on the top of his head that was consistent with his account of being struck with a piece of firewood.
The investigation remains ongoing. Any charges filed against Haggerty would remain allegations unless and until proven guilty in court.
