NORWICH – A Bainbridge man charged with assaulting his wife after a three-hour standoff with New York State Police appeared in court Friday to beg the judge for his release. The alleged victim claims the incident was a misunderstanding.
Michael D. Richardson, 33, surrendered to police negotiators outside his residence Dec. 10 in the Village of Bainbridge and was later charged with felony second degree assault.
According to a grand jury indictment handed down in January, the alleged victim in the case, Richardson’s wife, suffered multiple strikes to her face, causing a fracture to the right eye socket and leaving her unconscious with a concussion.
New York State Police Captain James E. Barnes said troopers were alerted to the potential hostage situation at around 8:21 a.m. when a 911 call was placed by a relative of the family reporting a domestic dispute. By approximately 11:40 a.m., Richardson willingly surrendered to police outside his residence at 6 Johnson St. in the Village of Bainbridge.
A patrol arrived on the scene shortly after the original complaint and immediately established a security perimeter, blocking off several side streets and a portion of State Route 7.
Troopers evacuated residents from the homes directly surrounding the area, the railroad ceased operation through the village and the nearby Bainbridge-Guilford Greenlawn Elementary School was placed on lock out during the incident.
Richardson’s public defender Alan Gordon told Chenango County Court Judge W. Howard Sullivan Friday that his client could not afford the current $50,000 cash bail and that his wife was prepared to tell the court she accidentally fell down the stairs while under the influence of narcotics. He also said the family believed the incident was a miscommunication with law enforcement.
“At the time of the incident, the wife admits she was under influence of narcotics and fell down the stairs and hit her head,” said Gordon.
The wife, who was in court, also attended an appearance on Feb. 1 and urged the release of Richardson and asked that the charges against him be reduced or dropped, reported Gordon.
Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dunshee said the remarks from the victims were “statements of complete denial.”
“I can’t believe you’re standing here representing such a position. It’s not in the best interest of your client or the victim,” Dunshee said to Gordon.
“These aren’t my versions of the events, I wasn’t there. It’s their version and I’m representing their side of the story, judge,” Gordon responded.
Richardson asked to make his case to the court and in a two-minute emotional appeal, he showed drawings his children had sent him in jail.
“I’ve missed Christmas, Thanksgiving. I’ve never been away from my children and family for so long, I just want to go back,” said Richardson through tears.
Sullivan ruled that the bail remain at $50,000.
Barnes said police responded to the domestic incident in large numbers due to Richardson’s prior record.
“We are familiar with this subject and about 10 days ago this individual was arrested for second degree kidnapping,” he said after troopers had taken Richardson into custody in December.
Bainbridge Police Chief Casey Caratelli provided a copy of a statement issued to local media outlets Dec. 1 in regards to the earlier arrest.
The Village of Bainbridge Court issued a warrant for Richardson’s arrest on Nov. 23 for charges of first degree burglary, second degree kidnapping and second degree criminal mischief, all felony-level offenses.
Caratelli said Richardson’s wife had come to the police station looking for help after she claimed she had been assaulted in a domestic violence incident.
Because she was unwilling to press charges or cooperate with an investigation, Caratelli said officers were unable to make an arrest. A few days later, the woman, whom Caratelli said has sole custody of the couple’s four children, took them to her mother’s house without telling Richardson.
Bainbridge police said Richardson apparently grew angry when his wife and children didn’t come home and went to his mother-in-law’s house in search of his family, armed with an 8-inch kitchen knife.
No one was home when he arrived and he allegedly kicked in the home’s front door. He then reportedly entered the home armed with the knife, an action which led to the first degree burglary charge.
Caratelli said Richardson slashed at furniture and walls, threw a chair into a window, smashed a plasma television with a coffee table, tore the door off a refrigerator, tipped over the stove and raged through the home, causing over $10,000 in damages. Police said they took several photographs of the damage during their investigation.
A 45 year-old tenant living upstairs heard the commotion and walked downstairs to witness Richardson destroying the property, according to police..
The victim told police he was ordered by Richardson to accompany him in the search for his family and according to the victim’s statement, he was in fear of his life.
The victim then fled and called 911 after Richardson parked in a nearby parking lot, said police.
Richardson was arrested Nov. 30, seven days after a warrant was issued for kidnapping, burglary and mischief. Bainbridge Police eventually apprehended him at his Johnson Street residence, where he was hiding out with his wife, the alleged victim.
Caratelli said the victims and witnesses in the case offered new and different statements than the ones originally given to authorities following the arrest which complicated the investigation.
On Dec. 2, the Chenango County grand jury met and Richardson’s case was reviewed by the Chenango County District Attorney’s Office. The case was never presented to the grand jury and was instead returned to local court with the burglary and kidnapping felonies reduced to a non-felony criminal mischief charge.