Police said Lyndell Dunnigan threatened an officer, who had just arrested him for allegedly choke slamming his ex-girlfriend on Thursday.
Dunnigan, 23, of 810 W. 14th St., is charged with aggravated assault, criminal trespass, vandalism and retaliation against a police officer.
Police had responded to an aggravated assault call. The victim said her ex-boyfriend, Dunnigan, had choked her during an argument and then pinned her against the wall. A woman who witnessed the alleged assault told him to stop.
On the day police arrived, the victim said Dunnigan had again pinned her by the throat against the wall during another argument. She also said he slapped her across the face before grabbing her by the throat once more and slamming her into a bookcase. The same woman again saw the assault, which is when Dunnigan stopped.
When the victim attempted to grab her phone and call the police, Dunnigan allegedly smashed her phone on the concrete front porch and then left the scene. Wen police arrived, they observed an abrasion on her lower lip and a smashed phone.
Police later located Dunnigan at the victim’s workplace. When they detained him, Dunnigan told police the two had been arguing about “both cheating on each other,” according to the police report. He said they had been “playing around” and that the victim had hurt herself by bumping shoulders.
He admitted to choking the victim, but claimed it was in self-defense. He told police the victim had choked him first, and that he stopped when the woman entered the room. He admitted to smashing the phone on the front porch, and then to walking to the victim’s workplace.
At the time, Dunnigan was on the CHA trespass list and admitted to being on CHA property.
While he was searched, police found what was believed to be marijuana in his wallet. As Dunnigan was being taken out of the jail, the officer said he stated, “Pray to God I don’t find out where you live. I’ll (expletive) you up.”