Charles Jerome Crutchfield, 64, of Arnold has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attacking an Arnold city employee and another man in July, according to court documents.
Crutchfield pleaded guilty to two second-degree assault charges of a special victim on April 13. The offenses are considered assaults on special victims because the employee and other man are classified as elderly, court records said.
Today (April 20), Jefferson County Div. 4 Circuit Judge Brenda Stacey sentenced Crutchfield to a 15-year sentence for each count, but the sentences will be served concurrently, or at the same time, court documents show.
On July 16, Crutchfield attacked Larry Mercer, 76, of Arnold, who works as a part-time inspector for the city of Arnold, and a 74-year-old Arnold man outside a vacant home in the 2600 block of Georgia Drive. Mercer went to the home after the city received a complaint about overgrown grass. When Mercer arrived at the property, the 74-year-old man joined him to review the complaint, Arnold Police reported.
While the two were inspecting the property, Crutchfield came out of a home next to the vacant house, carrying a baseball bat. He hit Mercer, causing the inspector to fall and hit his head on the pavement, the probable-cause statement in the case said.
The statement does not make it clear if Crutchfield used the bat to assault the inspector.
The report said Crutchfield hit the 74-year-old on the right arm and left leg with the bat. After the attack, which reportedly was recorded by a nearby surveillance camera, Crutchfield barricaded himself in his home, the report said.
When police arrived at the scene, Crutchfield didn’t respond to their attempts to contact him, so officers were unable to determine if Crutchfield was still inside the home, and he was not arrested at that time, according to the report.
However, he was arrested July 22 in Illinois, Arnold Police reported.
Mercer and the other victim were transported to an area hospital. The 74-year-old was treated and released July 16, Arnold Police said.
Arnold City Administrator Bryan Richison said Mercer returned to work Aug. 3.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Timothy Michael Bowe handled the case.