Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Dad "fighting for custody" of 4-year-old son charged with attempted murder after driving truck through family home (Simsonville, Kentucky)

Once again, we see how too many fathers "fighting for custody" are nothing but dangerous control freaks. This one is identified as JUSTIN COTTRELL.

http://www.wdrb.com/story/27588581/father-charged-with-attempted-murder-after-driving-truck-through-family-home

Father charged with attempted murder after driving truck through family home

Posted: Dec 09, 2014 6:00 PM EST Updated: Dec 09, 2014 7:04 PM EST

By Stephan Johnson

SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A fight between a husband and wife sparked a violent chain of events that landed a car inside a house and a husband and father behind bars.

The man and woman were apparently fighting over custody of their child and it led to dangerous and violent consequences.

"Kept hearing some noise and I said what is that going on," said Jerry Reis, neighbor.

Police say the noise Reis and other neighbors on Schumaker Drive in Shelby County heard was Justin Cottrell slamming into cars as he was leaving home on Monday evening.

"There was three vehicles that were actually damaged from the tirade that he went on when he was leaving the house," said Officer Todd Rankin, with Simpsonville Police.

"It wasn't over," said Reis.

Police say Cottrell eventually led Kentucky State Police on a high speed chase.

Officer Rankin said, "At a hundred plus miles an hour, my understanding."

Officer Rankin was first on the scene and says he was there when Cottrell called the home.

"And on that phone call he basically said: 'I'm going to drive through the living room of the house'. In not so nice words," explained Rankin.

Rankin says a short time later, Cottrell returned with his foot on the gas pedal.

"He then went around my cruiser and went through the grass and between the stop sign and mailbox and went airborne into the house."

Police suspect this started after a fight between Cottrell and his wife over custody of the couple's 4-year old son.

"Apparently they wanted him to leave because of his previous actions and threats that he had made," said Rankin.

"Mr. Cottrell, you're going to need an attorney, do you have an attorney?," a Shelby County judge asked during Cottrell's arraignment Tuesday.

"No, I'll need one," he replied.

Cottrell was appointed a public defender. He is facing several charges including 4 counts of attempted murder because his family and the officer were all at the home.

Rankin said, "His wife and son were in the bathroom, ah, right off of the front bedroom, his mother in-law was actually in the utility room."

Meanwhile, Jerry Reis doesn't know Cottrell well, but doesn't want him back in the neighborhood.

"Anybody who would take the chance to hurt their family like that, yeah, he doesn't need to be back here," said Reis.

Right now, Justin Cottrell is being held on a $100,000 bond.

He is scheduled to return to court on Thursday of next week.