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Tables turn on Metro Dispatch employee

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A McKinley County employee was jailed and later released Dec. 25 from the McKinley County Adult Detention Center on a misdemeanor assault on a household member charge, records show.

Patrick Woods, 42, deputy director at Metro Dispatch, was arrested early Christmas morning after Gallup police were dispatched to his West Jefferson residence.

Upon arrival, they found Woods, a 44-year-old woman, and their 22-year-old son in the living room of the home, according to a police report on the matter by Gallup Police Officer Joe Roanhorse.

“(The son) stated that he saw his father pick up a chair and throw it at his mom,” the report reads. “(The son) stated his parents argued for a while at which time his [mom] threatened to leave.”

The son said he became so upset that he grabbed his father and put him in a headlock to try and restrain him. The two struggled and his son sustained a scratch on his face.

No visible injuries were sustained by Woods, the police report states.

Woods told Roanhorse that the argument started when the woman (mother) picked up his cell phone and started to go through it. The son said he believed that his mom began hitting Woods and the chair was picked up as a defense mechanism and not to injure someone.

“(The mother) stated the chair did hit her face and caused her glasses to fall off,” Roanhorse wrote in the police report.

McKinley County Attorney Doug Decker said that the county human resources director, the county manager and the director at Metro Dispatch were aware of the Woods domestic situation and have met over the matter.

The police report states that the parties involved were “slightly intoxicated.”

The woman said she did not wish to press any kind of formal charges, the police report reads. The incident happened at 2:23 am, according to the police report.

By Bernie Dotson

Sun Correspondent