A Brandon Township man who choked his wife and then fled from police has pleaded no contest to multiple charges.
Howard John Dwyer, 48, pleaded no contest Sept. 26 to a charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He also pleaded no contest to one charge of resisting and obstructing a police officer. The pleas were made in front of 52-2 District Court Judge Kelley Kostin.
According to police reports, at about 10:30 p.m., Sept. 1, deputies responded to the 100 block of E. Glass Road for a report of assault and battery. Upon arrival, deputies approached the house and could hear screams for help. As one of the deputies opened the door and entered, Dwyer was seen exiting the house. The deputy chased him down, taking him off a fence and securing him.
The victim told police her husband had been drinking, became aggressive and got in her face twice, threatening to kill her. She called 9-1-1 to record his behavior and he snapped, telling her if he was going to jail, she was going to die. He began to choke her and she blacked out. When she came to, she tried to flee the house. He caught her and at that time, the police arrived.
Deputies observed a large amount of redness around the woman’s neck. She had throat pain and difficulty breathing and was transported to the hospital.