A pair of Butler County residents face charges of child endangerment and assault in relation to an incident that occurred in March at a local playground.
Jesse B. Chaffin, 41, of Qulin and Miranda J. Gregory, 39, of the 1800 block of County Road 450 were booked Wednesday at Butler County jail on charges of Class B felony of first degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in serious physical injury and the Class D felony of second degree assault.
According to the probable cause statement by Poplar Bluff Police Detective Scott Phelps, PBPD officers responded to the playground at Eugene Field Elementary School in reference to a fight involving several subjects. When officers arrived, they contacted the alleged victim, who was bleeding from the mouth and nose.
The youth said he and a juvenile male had been “talking smack” on the phone about fighting one another for some time. The juvenile male reportedly sent the youth a text while he was at the playground about wanting to fight. Approximately 20 minutes later, a white Dodge Charger and a Ford Bronco pulled up at the playground, according to police reports.
Witnesses said the juvenile male and his brother got out of the Bronco, while Chaffin and three females got out of the Charger.
One of the females reportedly struck the youth in the face several times, then the juvenile male’s brother also reportedly attacked the youth, and a fight ensued. A woman, later identified as Gregory, then reportedly spat in the alleged victim’s face.
Chaffin then began “pounding (the alleged victim) in the face,” witnesses said, causing the youth a broken nose and bloodied mouth. Shortly after, an individual tried to break up the fight and all the subjects got in their vehicles and left, according to reports.
Phelps then met April 5 with one of the women who was reportedly present at the alleged assault. She reported filming the incident and, according to police reports, corroborated the youth’s statements. The woman gave video of the incident to the PBPD.
Gregory and Chaffin are each free on $50,000 bond. Both are scheduled to make their initial appearances May 19 at the Butler County Courthouse.