I see folks ready to judge, but can't find the crime. So what did he do?
According to the affidavit, Sutton and a woman got into an argument at about 4:45 a.m. on March 7. The address where the incident took place is redacted from the document due to Marsy’s Law, but the sheriff’s office has previously said the incident occurred at Sutton’s home in Lutz.
Sutton and the woman, 35, have been dating for about seven years and have three children in common, according to the affidavit. The Tampa Bay Times is not naming the woman in this story because authorities say she is a domestic violence victim.
During the argument, Sutton picked up the woman and slammed her into a wall, then bit her on the neck, leaving a quarter-sized abrasion that bled, the affidavit states. Sutton then grabbed the woman by the face and neck and choked her, causing her to briefly lose consciousness, according to the affidavit.
The altercation continued into the living room of the home, where Sutton held down the woman by her hair and struck her twice with his fist, causing a knot to form on the woman’s forehead, the affidavit states.
Sutton left the home before deputies arrived, and repeated attempts to reach him by phone at the time were unsuccessful, according to previously released information.
Prosecutors on Monday closed the felony case and filed a misdemeanor battery charge against Sutton. A charging document filed in that case states that Sutton “did actually and intentionally touch or strike” or “did intentionally cause bodily harm” to the victim.
“After reviewing the evidence, it was appropriate for our office to move forward on misdemeanor domestic battery charges,” Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office spokesperson Erin Maloney said in an email to the Times on Monday.