A Fayette County man was arrested on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 24 after an alleged domestic altercation. Earl Franklin Dodson III, 27, of Scarbro, has been charged with three-counts of domestic assault, and two-counts of gross neglect of a child or children creating risk of injury or death.
On the date in question, Fayette County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the vicinity of Shirley’s Market on Route 612 in Scarbro in response to a reported vehicular-chase in progress. Based upon the reports received by the Fayette County 911 Center, deputies were advised that Earl Franklin Dodson III was in a vehicle pursuing his girlfriend, her mother and two minors, both under the age of five-years-old, also in a vehicle
According to the criminal complaint, deputies successfully intercepted Dodson’s vehicle, removed Dodson from it, and placed him under arrest. Deputies then spoke with the adult victims and confirmed that they were unharmed.
The complaint states that Dodson’s girlfriend advised deputies that her and her mother had driven the two minors to Dodson’s home for supervised visitation. Dodson’s girlfriend claims that Dodson requested that he be allowed to take the minors out to eat, and that she refused. Dodson’s girlfriend alleges that Dodson then “tried to take the kids from her” which she prevented before returning, with the minors, to her mother’s vehicle. Dodson’s girlfriend further alleges that Dodson then punched the rear passenger window of her mother’s vehicle.
According to the criminal complaint, the victims left Dodson’s home, and travelled north onto Route 612. Dodson’s girlfriend advised deputies that, moments after leaving the residence, Dodson was following behind them on Route 612, and that he was driving erratically, swerving into oncoming traffic and honking his horn. The victims allege, at one point, Dodson pulled his vehicle “right up to the rear of (their) vehicle in what they believe to be an attempt to hit them”.
Earl Franklin Dodson III is currently being held in Southern Regional Jail on a $20,000 cash-bond or surety.
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