Ruston Police arrested a Chatham man last week after he allegedly struck a woman several times, knocking her to the ground.
Floyd E. Hassen, 39, was arrested on February 1 after officers responded to the Spirit Food Mart on La. Highway 33 in Ruston.
Hassen said he and the woman got into a scuffle after they began to argue. He said the woman slapped him so he retaliated and slapped her back.
The woman told police nothing had happened. Even when told officers could see dried blood and red markings on her face, she repeated that nothing had happened.
A witness told officers he saw the entire incident. The witness said he heard a woman screaming, and he saw the suspect repeatedly striking her in the face. The man said he saw the suspect hit the woman again, causing her to fall to the ground. He said the suspect left on foot when he saw he was being observed.
A warrant check revealed Hassen was wanted for failure to appear in Ruston City Court on a traffic charge. He was taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and booked for domestic abuse battery and the warrant.
Bail on the warrant was set at $2,000. Bail for domestic abuse battery was not available.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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