An Aiken County man has been arrested after driving his vehicle into his ex-wife’s garage, throwing a hammer and attacking his own TV set with a machete, deputies say.
A deputy responded to the 300 block of Country Glen Avenue in Graniteville Wednesday night around 9:30 p.m. in reference to a domestic assault.
When the deputy arrived, the female victim said that her ex-husband, Paul David Tyler, age 49, of Ridge Road in Clarks Hill, was in her face yelling and screaming at her. The deputy then separated the two.
Tyler reportedly told the deputy that he was mad because his ex-wife doesn’t show him any respect. He also told the deputy that he broke his TV and that he didn’t hit or touch anyone, officials said
Tyler was detained by the deputy and placed him in the back of the patrol car for officer safety, based on Tyler’s actions when the deputy arrived.
The woman then told the deputy her side of the story: that she and her female neighbor were sitting in the garage watching TV when Tyler drove into the garage with 2004 GMC pickup and hit a wagon and the chairs they were sitting in, officials said.
The woman also told the deputy that Tyler then got out of the vehicle, grabbed a hammer, and threw it at the neighbor’s head, but missed, according to deputies.
Tyler then reportedly grabbed a machete and threw it towards the TV but it also missed the TV, so Tyler started kicking chairs while yelling and screaming at them, deputies said.
Tyler then picked up the machete and started hitting the TV with it, according to deputies.
According to the incident report, Tyler then walked into the home and said he was “going to tear up the pool.”
A witness stepped in between Tyler and his ex-wife. Tyler then started throwing items from a cabinet onto the garage floor and busted a bottle, which cut his ex-wife’s foot, officials said.
Tyler then got back into the truck and started backing up, then got out and started yelling again until the deputy made him stop.
The woman told the deputy that she and Tyler had been legally divorced but she allowed him to stay at the home occasionally to be able to spend time with their grandchild.
The TV belonged to Tyler, the incident report said.
Around 10:30 pm, Tyler was arrested and charged with 1st Degree Criminal Domestic Violence against his ex-wife and 3rd Degree Assault and Battery against the neighbor.
Tyler was then transported to the Aiken County Detention Center.
— Info from WJBF-TV