Maryland Sheriff Facing Charges Asks Police Chief to Return Guns

The Anne Arundel County sheriff arrested this month after a domestic dispute asked the county police chief to return guns confiscated from him, according to news reports. 

Sheriff Ron Bateman asked Police Chief Timothy Altomare via text message for his shotguns so he could go hunting with his son, The Capital Gazette reported.

The text messages were released by the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Altomare said he did not respond to the messages and he will not return the guns until the case is adjudicated.

Bateman’s attorney, Peter O’Neill, said Bateman was not seeking the return of his guns until the case was resolved.

Bateman was arrested on a second-degree assault charge following a dispute with his wife on April 10. 

On April 20, Anne Arundel County officials released a recording of the 911 call that led to the arrest of the county’s sheriff.  

In the recording, a woman who identified herself as Elsie Bateman, the sheriff’s wife, says “the sheriff is drunk and he just punched me in the eye.”

In several portions of the 911 call, the woman can be heard yelling, “don’t come near me” and “shut the door.”

Bateman said he and his wife argued that night but he did not assault her.

Charging documents state that when Bateman's wife grabbed his money clip, he held her down on a bed and later pushed her to the floor. In the documents, Bateman said he did not hit her but held her down to get his money clip back.

The Capital Gazette reported that Elsie Bateman released a statement saying "at no point did Ron punch or hit or kick me."

County Executive Steve Schuh and other politicians issued a statement calling for Bateman to resign after the 911 call was released.

Bateman returned to work in an administrative capacity.

The sheriff told the Capital Gazette he would not resign following the release of the 911 call and is seeking re-election in 2018.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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