Dad assaults 9-year-old sonfor wanting to go outside to play (Iowa City, Iowa)

Seems dad STEVEN L. ELDRIDGE has some chemical dependence issues, which might explain why he gets so, uh, testy. You put your 9-year-old in a choke hold, throw him the floor, and put your foot on this back--why again? Because he wanted to go outside and play? Oh, the horror! I can think of a lot of parents--myself included--who wish we could get our sons away from their video games and out into the great outdoors. But I guess this Daddy isn't one of them. As for the mother...wait. Where is Mom anyway? How much you want to bet she was subjected to this "I'm the Man of the House" sh** too--which is kind of hard to take, I suppose, especially from a boozed up, pothead loser.

INVISIBLE MOTHER ALERT.

http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20100908/NEWS01/100908001/Police-Man-of-the-house-assaulted-9-year-old-son

Police: 'Man of the house' assaulted 9-year-old son
Lee Hermiston • Iowa City Press-Citizen • September 8, 2010

An Iowa City man was arrested Tuesday evening after he allegedly assaulted his 9-year-old son.
Police said Steven L. Eldridge’s son asked his father to go out and play in the backyard of their 1629 Hollywood Blvd. home. Eldridge, 48, let his son go out to play, but when his son approached the door to leave the house, Eldridge allegedly stopped him and said he couldn’t go outside.

Police said Eldridge put in son in a “choke hold” with one arm and grabbed his nose with the other arm, pinching and pulling it until it caused pain and redness.

Eldridge then allegedly threw his son to the floor and stepped with one foot on the boy’s back. Police said Eldridge then raised his hands in the air and shouted that he was “man of the house.” Police said the boy was still complaining of pain 90 minutes after the alleged incident.

When officers responded to the incident, they found Eldridge at 116 Highway 1 W. Police said Eldridge smelled strongly of alcohol, had red, bloodshot and water eyes, slurred speech and poor balance. Eldridge was belligerent and uncooperative. He refused a preliminary breath test.

During a search, police also found a small glass jar of marijuana in Eldridge’s coat pocket.

Police said Eldridge has multiple prior convictions for public intoxication and one prior conviction for possession of marijuana. For Tuesday’s incident, he was charged with child endangerment with serious injury, a class C felony, possession of marijuana and public intoxication.