WRIGHT COUNTY, Mo. — A Mountain Grove man has been charged with first‑degree domestic assault after investigators reviewed surveillance video showing a woman being slammed onto the ground during an argument.
According to a probable cause statement filed in Wright County Circuit Court, officers were dispatched around 7:31 p.m. on Aug. 5 to a home on Ninth Street for a report of an intoxicated 25‑year‑old woman with a head injury. EMS personnel noted a head laceration, gravel dust on her clothing, and cuts on her arm and leg. The woman initially told officers she “fell out of a vehicle,” but could not clearly explain her injuries.
Police spoke with Matthew Mark Rhodes, who said he and the victim had been arguing since the previous night and described the incident as a “tussle” in which she slipped from his arms and hit her head.
A neighbor’s surveillance video provided a different account. The footage showed Rhodes yelling at the victim to “get out of the car,” opening the back door, and approaching her. After the victim struck him, Rhodes grabbed her from behind, lifted her off the ground, and slammed her onto her head, causing her to lose consciousness. He then leaned over her and yelled for her to stop before moving to the front seat of his vehicle while she remained motionless.
Based on the video, officers arrested Rhodes for domestic assault in the first degree, a Class B felony involving serious physical injury. His bond is set at $25,000.
The victim was transported to Texas County Memorial Hospital due to her head injury and impaired memory. Her children were placed with a relative, and a hotline report was filed with the Missouri Department of Children’s Division.
All charges are allegations, and Rhodes is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
