Matthew Lockhart
Two attempted first-degree murder cases have been bound to the Grand Jury against 22-year-old Matthew Lockhart, with separate victims.
Lockhart is charged with biting his girlfriend multiple times on the face, dragging her around her yard (including by her hair) and getting her in a chokehold until she passed out. He was irate because she would not take him to Walmart.
A chase began after deputies were called, and Lockhart is charged with driving into a county patrol car, injuring an officer's wrist. It was testified that the vehicles wound up hitting head on in the collision on Highway 153.
In the incident on March 22, a county deputy said he was dispatched to the woman's home on Hunter Road. He said en route he spotted Lockhart driving away from the scene.
The deputy said he began chasing Lockhart on I-75 southbound at speeds up to 117 miles per hour. He gave up when Lockhart sped up even faster, and he went on to the scene of the police call.
The deputy testified that he was able to view the "violent attack" on a neighbor's video. It was shown in the courtroom of General Sessions Court Judge Larry Ables.
In the video, the woman is heard crying and screaming as Lockhart told her multiple times to get in the silver Hyundai sedan, where her infant daughter was already strapped into a car seat.
The woman said she had rented the vehicle.
A deputy said she woman had marks on her neck where she had been strangled. He said the video showed her hand going limp as she passed out briefly. Just before that moment, she told Lockhart, "I can't breathe. Please don't."
Lockhart eventually drove away in her rented car. The woman was able to get her child out of the car before he left.
She said she had known Lockhart for 8-9 years. She said he was high on meth and has had mental issues.
That day, she said, he was "amped up, high energy."
The woman said, "He keeps going to jail. Nothing's working."
The woman acknowledged that she had received calls from Lockhart from the jail. She said he told her not to testify against him.
A county sergeant said the driver of a tanker truck that was near the scene of the crash on Highway 153 called and offered video. He said it showed the collision of the rental vehicle and the patrol car.
The witness said Lockhart had a clear lane in front of him, but opted to veer over and hit the patrol vehicle.
"It appears the patrol car was intentionally struck," he said.
A city police sergeant said he was in the vicinity of the chase, but he said it is the policy of the city police not to get involved in such pursuits.
Judge Larry Ables told Lockhart not to contact the woman and said he had lost his jail phone privileges.