Man faces new battery charge

SANDPOINT — A 34-year-old Naples man was arrested on a charge of domestic battery a week after being released from jail for an earlier, similar count.

Late last month, Bonner County deputies responded to a welfare check that was called in by a friend of the alleged victim. According to the caller, her friend had sent her a text that said “gave me a 911,” court records said. The caller told deputies she believed her friend’s boyfriend, Travis R. Phillips, was not allowing her to call 911.

In the probable cause affidavit, a deputy wrote that BCSO officials were familiar with the names of the couple, as they had arrested Phillips a week prior on a similar charge of alleged domestic battery.

Upon the deputies’ arrival, they were let into the residence by the alleged victim’s child. Upon first contact with Phillips, deputies noted his speech was slurred and he smelled heavily of alcohol. When the alleged victim was contacted, deputies noticed injuries to her face.

“I could immediately see swelling and bruising on her face,” a deputy wrote in the affidavit. “She stated that [Phillips] had hit her with a pistol tonight. She had evident purple bruising to her right eye, a bleeding abrasion on her eyelid, redness on both cheeks and swollen bleeding lips.”

Deputies asked the alleged victim if she wanted to press charges “this time,” because during a phone call the day prior, she had indicated she no longer wanted to press charges in regards to the alleged earlier incident. However, according to court records, the woman told deputies she only said she did not want to press charges because Phillips was nearby during the phone call and he had pressured her to tell deputies that.

When Phillips was placed into handcuffs due to his alleged intoxication, anger, and officer safety concerns, court records contend he was notified he was being placed under arrest for domestic battery. To this, Phillips allegedly claimed the alleged victim was “having an episode,” and she had pulled a gun on him.

The alleged victim was asked for further details regarding the altercation, telling deputies that during a verbal argument, Phillips allegedly grabbed her by the face “in a [manner] that she is not able to breathe” and repeatedly slammed her head into the mattress of their bed — which she said is a common occurrence.

“She stated that tonight, within approximately the past hour, [Phillips] did this so many times, with so much anger, that [the alleged victim] became scared enough to grab her Smith and Wesson .40mm pistol for self defense,” a deputy wrote in the affidavit.

Court records report that the woman told deputies that she tried to hide the pistol in her pants, but Phillips allegedly intervened and took the gun, shoving the barrel of it into her right eye socket while covering her mouth with his other hand. According to the affidavit, Phillips told the alleged victim to be quiet, calling her names while pressing the gun to her face.

In addition to the alleged assault, deputies noted Phillips is prohibited from possessing a firearm for any period of time. He also barred from knowingly being in the presence of a firearm. Deputies wrote in that he allegedly allegedly admitted to knowing the alleged victim kept the weapon at the home.

According to deputies, when the woman finally got free, she ran outside, but Phillips allegedly caught her and carried her back inside. While he was preoccupied, the alleged victim told deputies she was able to grab her phone and called her friend.

When deputies asked the woman about the first alleged incident, she she told them that during a verbal argument, Phillips allegedly pulled over the vehicle which they both were in and grabbed her by her hair.

“Using her hair for grip, [he] violently slammed her face against the dashboard of the vehicle, causing traumatic injury to her face,” deputies wrote in the affidavit. “While doing this, [Phillips] was telling [the alleged victim], ‘You are just messed up … You’re messed up from your ex; if I wanted to hurt you, I could; you’re not so tough now, little girl, are you?’”

According to deputies, the woman told them the incidents were not the only instances of alleged violence from Phillips. Court records contend that the woman’s child witnessed the alleged battery and tried to intervene, but was overpowered by Phillips.

According to court records, Phillips claims he has never been violent toward the alleged victim and was unaware of any instances she would feel the need to call the police on him.

According to deputies, the youth begged them to not allow Phillips back to the residence, “because if he does come home again, after being arrested like this twice, ‘it will not be good.’” Deputies advised the alleged victim to file a protection order against Phillips.

Phillips was charged with aggravated battery, two counts of felony domestic battery, and unlawful possession of a firearm. His bail is set for $50,000 and an arraignment in the case is set for Feb. 29. An arraignment is a formal reading of the criminal charges in the presence of the defendant to inform them of what they are being charged with. The accused may be expected to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty during an arraignment.