West Plains, MO. – A West Plains man was arrested on February 27th after it was reported to authorities that he assaulted a woman. George Watson is charged with 1st-degree assault and armed criminal action.
According to the probable cause statement, a call on an assault on Hickory Street was received at 2:24 p.m. After West Plains Police arrived on the scene, a woman who worked with Perfect Partners reported that a consumer, identified as Watson, had walked into a residence and struck her in the head with a brown hammer.
Perfect Partners is a local business that provides in-home support for those with behavior, physical challenges, and developmental disabilities.
The woman stated she had been sitting in a chair by the front door at a residence having a staff meeting with three other workers when Watson arrived with a hammer in his hand. He had been asked to return to his house so the staff meeting could continue. It is reported by the witnesses that Watson took a step back to gain momentum, turned, and struck the woman on the left side of the forehead with the wooden handle of the hammer. Authorities observed a large bump on the woman’s head roughly 2 inches in diameter with swelling that protruded roughly one inch.
Watson was arrested and, while walking to the patrol vehicle, was heard saying to the victim, “you still deserved it, b****.”
According to online court documents, Watson has pled not guilty. During a bond appearance on March 6, a request for Watson to be released on his own recognizance in his current placement through Perfect Partners was made. This was objected to by the prosecution and denied by the judge. Watson remains in police custody on a $25,000 bond.