Man ties dog harness around woman’s neck, threatens to kill her

CABELL COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A man ties a dog harness around a woman’s neck, saying: “I’m going to kill you and can smell your blood.”

On June 28, 2024, around 4:30 pm, a deputy responded to a domestic dispute on RT 60 in Culloden, West Virginia. While en route, a Cabell County deputy was informed by the 911 dispatcher that the caller, identified as a victim, said her boyfriend, the defendant Brandon Sergent, had wrapped a dog harness around her neck and threatened to kill her.

Upon arrival, the deputy met the victim in the driveway but could not contact the defendant at the front door. The deputy then went to the back door and saw the defendant’s frightened 7-year-old daughter standing on the porch. The deputy brought the girl to the victim, who confirmed she was the defendant’s daughter.

After other officers arrived, the deputy cleared the home and found three other unharmed children in their rooms. One child said they heard an argument but didn’t know what it was about.

A search for the defendant was unsuccessful, but a neighbor reported seeing him run through the brush, saying he wouldn’t “go down without a fight.” When the deputy later spoke to the victim, she stated the defendant had come home intoxicated, thrown toilet paper at her, and then physically attacked her in the kitchen, strangling her until she urinated on herself. The defendant then proceeded to wrap both hands around her neck, stating, “I’m going to kill you and can smell your blood.” The victim said she broke free, ran outside, and the defendant wrapped a dog harness around her neck before she escaped to a neighbor’s house and called 911.

The deputy observed redness on the victim’s neck and collected evidence, including the victim’s clothing. The victim also obtained a domestic violence protection order against the defendant.

Later that evening, the defendant’s mother contacted the deputy to say she had not seen her son. Around 10 pm, the mother called 911 to report the defendant’s location, and the deputy arrested him at the residence on charges of felony strangulation, domestic battery, and domestic assault. The defendant was intoxicated and claimed he “retaliated” against the victim for an injury to his head.