September 5, 2024 4:00 a.m.

A Myrtle Creek man was jailed, charged with felony counts of strangulation and 4th degree assault Tuesday afternoon.

A Douglas County Sheriff’s Office report said a victim requested contact at the Myrtle Creek Police Department regarding an alleged past assault between her and 38-year -old Patrick Beard. She advised that Beard attacked her in the kitchen of a residence in the 200 block of Dustin Lane. The victim claimed that Beard grabbed her by the throat and squeezed her for nearly a minute and a half. The woman said that her vision was starting to fade as she was being choked.  The victim had several scratches on her neck and a large bruise on the left side of her chin. She advised that she scratched Beard several times trying to get him to stop.

The deputy contacted Beard just after 4:20 p.m. and noticed that his injuries were consistent with the victim’s account. He had the same story but claimed that the woman was the primary aggressor. Beard said he punched the woman on the chin one time during the altercation but rolled his knuckles because he knew that it was wrong.

Beard was detained with bail set at $3,000.