Jefferson City man sentenced on assault charge

A Jefferson City man was sentenced to five years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to a recent domestic assault charge.

Kelly Harrison, 35, pleaded guilty in Cole County court to second-degree domestic assault and unlawful use of a weapon. He was initially charged with first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, second-degree kidnapping, second-degree domestic assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

His sentence also includes 60 days of shock incarceration, credit for time served, no contact with the victim and treatment as recommended by probation and parole.

A Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement said police conducted a wellness check on the morning of Jan. 14 along the 1000 block of St. Mary's Boulevard. There, they found a woman who told them Harrison was inside with a weapon. She said he had held scissors to her neck and threatened to kill her before she made contact with the police.

She alleged Harrison, whom she had been in a relationship with, had been assaulting her during the prior five days and showed police marks on her hand and arm. She said Harrison had twisted her arm back, and that she believed he would have broken it. Police took the woman to the hospital, where she was found to have two fractures in her thumb.

Police contacted Harrison, who said he and the woman had been drinking together during the prior few days and he had been arguing with her. He said it was possible he had waved the scissors at her, but said he had threatened himself with them rather than her. He also alleged the woman had injured her arm while falling off the couch, stating, "I didn't do it," before allegedly saying, "I guess I did."