Arrest is made after assault with bat

Thomas Rust Brown

BENTON -- A Bell City-area man was arrested for an assault with a baseball bat after his alleged victim tied him up until police arrived.

Thomas Rust Brown, 31, of Bell City is charged with first degree assault, a class B felony; and two felony counts of armed criminal action.

At 11:55 a.m. Thursday, Scott County Sheriff's Deputy Danny Finley and Matthew Scroggins, senior deputy, responded to a home on County Highway 250 near Oran, according to Sheriff Rick Walter.

When they arrived, the deputies found Brown lying on the garage floor of the residence, bound at the wrists and ankles with large commercial zip ties.

Although it is unusual, this is not the first time deputies have arrived at a scene to find a suspect secured by a reporting party, Walter said.

Also at the home were a female and another male. The female told the deputies there had been an argument and during which Brown had struck her with a baseball bat and had a visible injury to her right ankle: it was red and swollen.

The male said he pushed Brown out of the house and tied Brown up after the suspect hit the female with the bat.

After being advised of his Miranda rights, Brown agreed to speak with Finley but gave multiple versions of the incident and stated he had an argument with the other male at the residence and had been injured.

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