CLEARFIELD – A West Decatur man, who caused a commotion in a parking lot before assaulting a man in his home on New Year’s Eve, will be spending time in state prison.
Police say on Dec. 31 they received multiple calls regarding a disturbance in the area of South Second Street that were linked to Dustin James Clark, 25.
This included him falling out of a vehicle, punching the vehicle, entering a nearby home and assaulting a man.
Clark pleaded guilty before Judge Paul E. Cherry to aggravated assault and criminal trespass during colloquy court on Monday.
He was sentenced to serve 30 months to 10 years in state prison with two years probation, according to the probation office.
The first calls to police around 2:55 p.m. that day reported a man falling out of a vehicle as it moved down the street and getting back into it after it pulled into a parking lot. He appeared to be “punching windows of the Jeep,” the caller said.
The driver of the vehicle called saying Clark was screaming, acting irate and jumped out while it was in motion.
She stated that he “smacked her in the face,” and punched the hood of the vehicle before lying down in the parking lot. He ran southbound toward South Front Street when he realized she was calling police.
She believed he was under the influence of alcohol, she told authorities, and mentioned he had a history of abusing controlled substances.
The next caller reported that a man had entered her South Front Street residence, while her roommate was there. She was not home.
When police arrived, no one answered their knock on the door, but they heard someone yelling for help at the rear door of the residence.
They quickly entered the home and ran to the back where two men were engaged in a physical altercation on the ground near the entrance.
Clark was on his back, holding the victim on top of him “with his right arm wrapped around” the victim’s neck.
After they separated the two, Clark was taken into custody.
The victim explained that the unknown man entered his home through the back door that was unlocked for his roommate to return.
He heard a man’s voice and went to see who was there. The man, known now to be Clark, was inside a stairwell.
When he asked why he was there, Clark began “mouthing off” and approached him.
The victim “felt threatened and brandished a pistol that was on his person and ordered the unknown man to get on the ground,” according to the affidavit.
Clark initially complied but as the victim was trying to call 911 and hold the gun, Clark jumped up and attempted to grab it.
The victim was pushed up against the wall, which caused pain to his back. They fell to the ground, where the man repeatedly struck him in the head and put his arm around his neck in a choke hold.
While this was happening, the victim said he was unable to get off the ground although he did bite the man’s hand during the altercation. Clark continued to try to get the victim’s gun.
The victim suffered multiple fractured ribs.
When questioned by police, Clark admitted to drinking heavily that day and stated the last thing he remembered was getting into the vehicle.