Vanessa Miller, CR Gazette –
A Swisher father has been arrested on suspicion of seven charges – including assault causing bodily injury on his daughter – after police said he hit her and threatened two of her friends with a gun last weekend.
James Patrick Morgan, 46, was arrested Thursday in connection with an incident in the 1300 block of Spring Ridge Court in Swisher about 9:30 p.m. Oct. 6, according to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Several criminal complaints state that during an altercation between Morgan, his daughter and two of her friends – both boys, ages 14 and 16 – Morgan blocked the friends’ car with his own car and then exited his vehicle and brandished a handgun.
He is accused of pointing the gun at the two boys and threatening them, saying, “I will (expletive) kill you,” according to a criminal complaint. As he demanded the boys get out of their vehicle, Morgan’s daughter stepped in and asked him to calm down, authorities reported.
Morgan is accused of hitting his daughter in the head, causing a bruise and pain, according to the complaint. He then shattered the window of the boys’ vehicle with the butt of his handgun and tried to reach in and pull out the 14-year-old boy, according to the complaint.
The boys managed to maneuver their vehicle and escape, according to the sheriff’s office. One of the teens told authorities they saw Morgan point the gun at them again as they drove away, according to the complaint. No gunshots were fired.
Morgan also is accused of kicking his daughter in the behind, causing her pain that lasted three days, deputies reported.
Following his encounter with the boys, according to a complaint, Morgan is accused of leaving a voice mail message for one of the teens saying he “would kill him if he ever came near the (his) daughter or house.” He also is accused of telling the boys that he “has no problem pulling the trigger,” authorities reported.
After the incident, Morgan is accused of threatening his daughter, warning her that she “would lose everything if she stated the truth,” according to deputies. Morgan is accused of telling his daughter to say that he never had his gun out of its holster and that he never pointed it at the two boys, according to the complaint.
The daughter told authorities that her dad made those threats twice on the night of the incident, the complaint indicates.
Morgan faces charges of going armed with intent, attempted burglary, both felonies, assault and use of a weapon, criminal mischief, harassment, tampering with a witness and assault causing injury while displaying a weapon.
Morgan is being held at the Johnson County Jail in lieu of a $72,500 bond. He does not have a criminal history in Iowa.
