A man who has listed addresses in Cotter and Yellville has been arrested in Stone County on multiple charges, including kidnapping, for an incident that sent his girlfriend to the hospital. It’s the third time this year 23-year-old Chipper Wade Statum has been arrested for violence against the same victim. Over the course of the three incidents, it’s alleged Statum has physically assaulted the victim, threatened to kill her and her family and burn down their house and tried to light a jacket on fire she was wearing.
According to court documents, Statum was arrested at the Mountain View Walmart after the victim had asked employees for help, saying she had been abducted, before locking herself in the bathroom. Law enforcement arrested Statum without incident at the store for being in violation of a protection order by being with the victim.
The victim told police the argument started earlier in the day when Statum allegedly got upset because she didn’t want to go inside and he grabbed her, put her in a choke hold and dragged her. He continued choking her until she lost consciousness. When she came to, she says Statum told her to get in the house but when she tried to speak, he allegedly head butted her in the forehead and told her to “shut the (expletive) up, (expletive).”
The victim told police Statum continued screaming at her and told her to keep her mouth shut. The victim said she asked Statum to stop, but he reportedly grabbed a hand full of hair and ripped it out and turned her head to look at three knives he had stuck in the wall.
She says Statum said a neighbor was coming over and if she wasn’t quite and stayed in the bed, he would “shove all three knives in her, (expletive) her and then (defecate) on her body.”
The victim told investigators, Statum then asked if she smelled gasoline. When she said yes, he took her around the house to show her where he had poured gasoline and told her he was thinking about burning down the house.
Statum then allegedly made the victim get in the car so they could go to Batesville to his place of employment and pick up his check. She alleges he told her if she as much as opened her mouth, he would slit her throat and threatened to kill her entire family.
On their return trip to Mountain View, the victim told Statum she needed to use the restroom, and that’s when they stopped at Walmart.
Statum is charged with felony counts of kidnapping, aggravated assault on a family or household member and terroristic threatening. Misdemeanor charges include domestic battery in the third degree, violation of a protection order, driving while license is suspended or revoked and interference with emergency communication. Bond is set at $300,000 on the latest charges.
Statum was arrested in Baxter County in February on a charge of domestic battery in the third degree after the victim says Statum got upset because she took too long in the bathoom and he shoved her down and bashed her head against the floor.
In January, Statum was arrested in Marion County of charges of aggravated assault on a family or household member, false imprisonment and interference with emergency communications. In that incident, the victim says she tried to break up with Statum and he attacked her. She told law enforcement he slapped, kicked, shoved and choked her before pinning her down and tearing her shirt open and ripping off her bra. She says he also tried, unsuccessfully, to light her jacket on fire while she was wearing it.
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