2 men face felony charges after alleged domestic altercation

Two Potter Township men are facing felony charges after an alleged domestic incident late Sunday left one of them injured.

According to the criminal complaint filed by state police at Rockview, troopers responded at about 11 p.m. to a residence for an active domestic incident. On arrival, the troopers reportedly observed Michael L. Yearick, 37, approach them from the side of the residence, bleeding from his face.

Upon entrance, troopers found Yearick’s wife and Braiden S. Lee, 23, in the living room, police said. They also reportedly noted a green-handled knife laying in the living room and a nearby window was open.

Lee reported that a dispute had taken place between Yearick and his mother, police said, after which Yearick left the residence. He reportedly later tried to re-enter through the bedroom and living room windows but Lee and Yearick’s wife had stopped him.

He had partially regained entry through the window when Lee had taken the knife and poked it out the window at Yearick, police said. Yearick reportedly began yelling about his eye, and that’s when troopers arrived.

Yearick’s wife said she had been arguing with Yearick, police said, when in the course of the argument he grabbed her with both hands around her neck and applied pressure. She said he had also pushed and shoved her.

Yearick sustained a cut hand and a puncture wound on his nose and inner corner of his eye, police said. He was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

Yearick recently finished a period of incarceration after pleading guilty to a count of disorderly conduct stemming from a reported domestic incident in February, according to court documents. A charge of felony strangulation had been dismissed at that time.

Both Yearick and Lee were taken into custody and arraigned before District Judge Thomas Jordan, court documents said. Yearick was charged with a felony count of strangulation and a misdemeanor count of simple assault. Bail was set at $150,000.

Lee was charged with one felony count of aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of simple assault and reckless endangerment. Bail was set at $20,000.

Preliminary hearings for both men are scheduled for Nov. 8.

This story was originally published October 31, 2017 at 1:37 PM with the headline "2 men face felony charges after alleged domestic altercation."