A man who was in a holding cell awaiting an appearance in East Ridge Municipal Court on Monday evening, has been charged with Aggravated Assault after allegedly assaulting another prisoner.
Keith W. Claywell, who was charged with Aggravated Domestic Assault in regard to an Oct. 17 incident involving his ex-girlfriend, turned on Kedarrian Higgins, “striking him numerous times with his handcuffs and kicking him several times,” according to an affidavit of complaint. The complaint also states the entire incident was captured on surveillance video.
Higgins was in the cell awaiting a hearing after having been arrested Wednesday for allegedly assaulting his mother at their Blackhawk Trail home. The East Ridge and Collegedale SWAT teams were mobilized during the incident after police responded and could not make contact with Higgins in the home. The three-hour incident ended peacefully.
Keith W. Claywell
Claywell, 51, of a Brainerd Road address, was originally arrested last week when a car his ex-girlfriend was driving came into the Fire and Police Service Center the wrong way and hit a curb at a high rate of speed. According to a police report, Claywell jumped out of the car with a knife strapped to his belt. The female driver of the car told police that Claywell had been arguing with her over the status of their relationship.
The woman told police that she had picked him up at the Economy Inn on Brainerd Road and he initially assaulted her. The report states that the woman told Claywell to get out of the car and he refused. She drove down McBrien Road into East Ridge, and the woman said that Claywell grabbed her by the hair and began choking her with his hands around her neck. The report states that police saw “significant redness around her neck” and a laceration under her chin.
According to the report, Claywell initially denied that an assault took place. When he was being placed into custody, Claywell told police that his ex-girlfriend had assaulted him several days prior to the incident.
Claywell is once again scheduled to be in East Ridge Municipal Court on November 21.
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